Not This Time
by SilverKitsune2017
Summary: They say that you only live once. They were wrong, Kakashi mused to himself. He was just a History Professor with a rather inappropriate attraction towards a graduate student named Sasuke Uchiha. That was until Orochimaru began his experiments and people began remembering their past lives. "Not this this time. You don't get to take him from me this time." He hissed at Orochimaru.
1. Chapter 1

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** This is a YAOI story. That means there will be at least one male x male romantic pairing. It is also a reincarnation story. If any of those things bother you, you might want to turn back now. For those of you still here, I hope you enjoy this story and reviews are always appreciated.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my fanfics.

Chapter 1

"So you really accepted Professor Creepy's offer to become his research assistant?" Suigetsu asks Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded. Of course, the professor's name wasn't Creepy. That was just his friend's nickname for Professor Sannin.

Privately, the youngest Uchiha agreed with the Marine Biology Major. Orochimaru was creepy. That was why he flat out refused to be alone with him. Thankfully, that wouldn't be an issue as his research assistant.

"Yeah. I'm half ready to file a restraining order against the guy, but he's one of the best in the field. It's too good an opportunity to pass up. Besides, it's only for a year or so anyway. I'm about to get my medical license. This counts towards finishing up my internship/residency requirement." Sasuke tells him.

To be an Uchiha meant that you had to excel. His family had quite the impressive reputation for producing a long line of prodigies. It didn't matter whether you went into politics, business, the arts, medicine, or the military. It was just a given that if your last name was Uchiha, you were exceptional in some way.

"Yeah, but can't you finish that requirement with someone else though? I'm not going to lie. I'm kinda afraid what'll happen, if Orochimaru is left with a pretty boy like you." Suigetsu taunts him.

Sasuke felt himself twitch. There was no way that he was going to allow THAT remark to go unaddressed. There were times when the raven haired medical student seriously wondered if Suigetsu might be at least moderately Masochistic.

 ** _SMACK!_** It didn't matter though. Any way that one looked at it, Sasuke wasn't going to let the violet eyed man get away with calling him a _pretty boy._ There was really only so much his pride could take!

"Owe! Jeez, Sasuke. You don't need to be so sensitive about it! I mean you're pretty, deal with it." The other graduate student grumbles as he nurses his now swelling cheek.

"I am NOT pretty. Though it sounds like you are switching teams. I thought you were straight." Sasuke retorts.

That was the fastest way to get Suigetsu's feathers ruffled without involving Karin. Sasuke knew that it was fighting dirty, but the other man had started it. It served him right!

"What?! I'm totally straight. I prefer chicks. Sorry, you're just too flat for my liking. Anyway, the guy gives off bad vibes. Are you sure that it's worth it?" The snowy haired college student inquires.

"I don't know. For someone who claims to only be attracted to women, you seem obsessively focused on my looks. Nevermind. That's not really the point though. It's worth it. Professor Sannin could really kick start my career, if he wants. If he wants to stare at me all day in exchange, I'll put up with it." Sasuke says with a sigh.

"Well good luck. Maybe you should bring some pepper spray with you or something though. You know, just in case." Suigetsu suggests.

Meanwhile Kakashi walks into Orochimaru's lab. To say the least, the History Professor was furious. His colleague's obsession with a certain Uchiha had gone entirely too far for his liking.

"I heard that you asked Sasuke Uchiha to be your assistant." He says, hiding his fury behind a deceptively cheerful voice.

"That's correct. He's a very bright boy. A true prodigy. Well I suppose that's expected. He's an Uchiha. It's a shame that Itachi specialized in different field than mine. I would have very much liked to have worked with him as well." The other professor replies with a wistful sigh.

Kakashi tries his best not to glare at Orochimaru, but it was a futile battle. He was far too incensed to hide his true feelings at this point. The other man apparently viewed Uchihas as collectibles.

"The Uchiha family is not a bunch of baseball cards for you to collect. Your obsession with them isn't healthy." The History Professor states irritably.

"Are you really in any position to lecture me? Do you honestly believe that I didn't notice? Do you really think that I haven't seen the way you look at him? A teacher and their student having a relationship would be quite the scandal. Though I suppose it is legal. He's of age. The university technically couldn't stop you." Orochimaru muses.

Kakashi had never wanted to hit someone more in his life than he did at that moment. How DARE the medical researcher speak to him like that?! He made it sound as if he had actually tried to seduce Sasuke and have an improper relationship with his student!

"He's no longer my student and hasn't been for a couple years. That and I have no intentions of entering a relationship with him. I must say that I find your fixation on my love life to be rather unnerving. Perhaps I should get a restraining order for myself and for Sasuke. He'd likely appreciate it." The erotic literature lover warns him.

"And under what grounds would you file that restraining order? Do you think the police would grant you one because I offered one of my students a research position and teased you about what type of man attracts you? Don't be absurd. I've done nothing wrong." Orochimaru replies.

Legally, he was correct. The older man hadn't actually done anything. Well nothing besides make suggestive comments and offer his student what amounted to an internship. The cops would laugh in his face.

"You haven't done anything wrong yet. I do hope for your sake that it stays that way. I'm not going to allow you to terrorize Sasuke because you have some twisted fixation on his family!" The silver haired man growls.

"The Uchihas are rather well known for their academic gifts. I'm far from the only one who would like to have him as my assistant. Though you seem be more interested in him for less scholastic reasons. I wonder what his Curse is." Dr. Sannin taunts him with malice sparkling in his eyes.

It was an old saying. Uchihas were known as being extremely gifted in their chosen fields, but like everyone else they had their weaknesses. It was referred to as the Uchiha Curse. There was always an Achilles' Heel , if you looked hard enough.

Sasuke had once told Kakashi what his brother's was. The man couldn't cook anything, besides scrambled eggs. Everything that he touched in the kitchen turned to dust. (The silver haired man honestly thought that Sasuke was being a smidge overdramatic with that last part, but he digressed.)

"Apparently, his Curse is that he attracts older men. Men who he has no interest in romantically." Kakashi snipes at Orochimaru.

"I wouldn't say that. Sasuke has never actually turned either of us down. Just because you are too scared to pursue your desires, doesn't mean everyone is. We're going to be spending a lot of time together in the lab. Perhaps I'll win him over." He says.

"You're older than his father. Orochimaru, you're delusional. You don't seriously believe a college student is going to be interested in a man almost three times his age." The History Professor informs him.

Orochimaru shrugs. He would love nothing more than to have Sasuke's brilliant mind in his lab and his gorgeous body in his bed. He knew the latter was the more unlikely wish. That wouldn't stop him from trying though.

"Age is just a number. Now, kindly get out of my lab. I will call the Campus Police, if you insist on continuing to harass me." The college instructor warns him.

Kakashi sighs and heads off. There was no point in getting the Campus Police involved. He had said what he had come to say.

What was most infuriating about the matter was that Orochimaru was right. The silver haired man knew that it was wrong, but he was attracted to Sasuke. Far more than he should be.

There was at least one major difference between him and the Medical Professor though. He was never going to act on those feelings. Kakashi knew they were inappropriate and likely wouldn't be returned. Orochimaru apparently hadn't gotten that memo yet.

"Sorry." Someone says as they bump into him, interrupting his thoughts.

Such an occurrence wasn't uncommon on the college campus. After all, it was loud and there were tens of thousands of students and employees inside. Sooner or later, you were going to bump into someone in the hallways.

"It's alright. Don't worry about it." Kakashi says.

"Thanks." The familiar voice says as the person in question takes off, heading towards Orochimaru's lab.

That's when Kakashi realizes who he had bumped into. It was Sasuke. Damn it. His former student was heading straight into the Serpent's Den and there wasn't really anything that he could do about it!

"Professor Sannin, are you in here?" Sasuke asks a few minutes later as he knocks on the door.

"Of course, please do come in." Came the immediate reply.

Sasuke pushes on the door and to his surprise, it opened easily. Apparently, Orochimaru didn't think that he had to worry about anyone barging in without permission. Most likely for good reason.

Orochimaru was known to be very territorial when it came to his lab. It had been nicknamed Dr. Frankenstein's Lab. The man had everything that any college student pursuing a scientific or medical degree could possibly want inside it.

Frankly, Sasuke didn't want to know what was in half of those vials and beakers. There was quite the impressive rainbow of substances and an army's worth of scientific equipment. Orochimaru had everything that you could think of, all in one place.

"So what exactly are you working on? You were a little vague in your explanation." Sasuke asks.

Damn it. They were alone. Orochimaru had more than one assistant. Sasuke knew that he at a minimum also had Kabuto and there were likely others. The fact that they were alone, made him want to come up with an excuse and leave.

Had that been Kakashi that he saw on the way here? Probably. He could say that he needed to speak with Kakashi about an assignment. Orochimaru might believe it.

"We are exploring truly groundbreaking work. Are you familiar with chakra networks?" The professor inquires.

"Vaguely. Centuries ago, people were able to use chakra networks to summon chakra to accomplish various tasks. No one's been able to use chakra in a long time though. After the Ninja Era ended, there wasn't a reason to use them and eventually people's chakra networks just shrunk. They became too small for anyone to use them." The youngest Uchiha replies.

Orochimaru smirks and nods in approval. He was such a clever boy. Clearly, he had done his homework. Most likely, Kakashi had touched upon the topic during one of his classes and Sasuke had remembered the information.

"That's correct. Very good." He coos at him.

Sasuke frowns. He didn't like it when the other man did that. It was obvious that he had more than just research on his mind and that was a disturbing thought.

He was almost old enough to be his grandfather. Granted, Kakashi was older than him. Significantly older, but the age difference wasn't as vast. That was probably why his infatuation with his former teacher hadn't completely disappeared yet.

"I didn't come here for a history lesson. What do chakra networks have to do with my position as your research assistant?" He demands.

"We are going to see if we can't find a way to make them usable again. Think of all the applications that chakra has. It would change the world." The other man replies.

Sasuke pauses as he considers that. Orochimaru was right. If they could find a way to make chakra networks usable again, that would change the world. Medical Jutsus for instance were truly the stuff of legend.

"And you actually got permission to conduct this type of research?" Sasuke asks skeptically.

He could see many benefits to this project, but there were also risks. Sooner or later, they would need human test trials. There was no way of really knowing what kind of effects this type of experimentation would have on people.

"I have permission yes. I know exactly what you are thinking. Don't worry. I have it all sorted out." Orochimaru assures him.

"Don't delude yourself. You have no idea what goes on in my head and it's going to stay that way. I agreed to be your assistant. I didn't agree to be your friend." Sasuke snaps at him.

"My, my. You do have such a temper, Sasuke. That's going to get you in trouble one day. You're fortunate that you're so gifted and that makes people more willing to overlook that icy demeanor of yours. That might not always be the case though. You'll have to work on that." The professor warns him.

Sasuke feels himself twitchl. Maybe, Suigetsu was right. Taking this slot, might not have been his best idea.

"I'll give that suggestion the due consideration that it deserves." Sasuke hisses at him.

"Excellent. So what do you think of our project? It's exciting. Isn't it? This is truly groundbreaking work!" Orochimaru exclaims.

The youngest Uchiha bites his lower lip as he considers the best way to respond to that. It was exciting. This was a new (or ancient) frontier and it could help a lot of people.

The fact that he would be doing such work with Orochimaru though, that made him nervous. Still he doubted the older man would actually try anything too scandalous. He did value his reputation in the scientific community and harassing your studenet was a very quick way to ruin one's reputation.

"I'll do it. So let's get started." Sasuke says with a smirk.

A few hours later, Sasuke heads back to his dorm room. It was fascinating work. He couldn't deny that.

Orochimaru had found lots of ancient primary sources about chakra networks. Some of them had been written by actual ninja medics. It would take awhile just to get up to speed by reading them, but Sasuke was sure it would be worth it.

"Hey, Jugo." Sasuke greets his roommate was he walks inside.

"Sasuke, how did it go?" The gentle giant asks.

"Well the actual work is good. Orochimaru is Orochimaru." Sasuke states.

Jugo nods in understanding. Sasuke quite liked his roommate. Well most of the time. The poor guy was prone to blacking out and lunging into rages. For some reason, he didn't do that as much around Sasuke.

If Jugo lost control while he was around, Sasuke ewas usually able to stop him with ease. They had discovered that fact in high school and had been best friends ever since. Jugo called Sasuke his Cage and he was Sasuke's Shield.

"Ah I see. Too bad Kakashi is a History Professor instead of Medical one." Jugo says slyly.

Sasuke gives Jugo a dirty look. He was the only one that knew about his feelings towards his former Professor. Jugo could keep a secret. The rest of his friends just couldn't.

Mercifully, the worst that the gentle giant did with this information was occasionally tease him in private. The youngest Uchiha could live with that. Besides, he had to tell someone or else he would have gone crazy. (That and he had been a bit intoxicated on the night that he told Jugo about his admiration for his constantly unpunctual professor).

"Yes, it would be nice not to have my boss undress me with his eyes constantly." Sasuke retorts.

"You'd like Kakashi to undress you with his eyes though." The orange haired man replies with a teasing smile.

That was really besides the point. Unlike Orochimaru, Kakashi did have SOME morals. He might read erotica in class while the students took their tests, but he wouldn't actually date one of his students.

"Jugo, that is really NOT the point." Sasuke insists.

"You know, you aren't his student anymore. He might say yes to a coffee date or something." Jugo suggests helpfully.

A coffee date?! Really? His best friend must be joking. He didn't seriously think that Kakashi would go out with one of his former students for coffee, did he?

"You're not serious." Sasuke mutters in disgust.

"What? He doesn't like coffee? Well what about just for lunch or something? It's a lot less formal than dinner and breakfast is too early. You're a night owl. You'd be half asleep, if you went out with him for breakfast." He continues.

"Kakashi wouldn't go out with me. We both know why. Even if I wasn't his former student, the guy would probably want someone closer to his own age." Sasuke reasons.

The thought was an appealing one. Forget breakfast, lunch, or dinner though. It would have been nice if Kakashi had asked him to be his assistant instead. Sasuke could think of several interesting ways to make full use of Kakashi's rather sturdy looking desk.

"Age is just a number." The giant points out.

"Oh great. Now you sound like Orochimaru." Sasuke scoffs at him.

"Ouch. That one hurt." Jugo states as he places his hand over his heart as if he was mortally wounded.

That's when Sasuke's cell phone rang. He quickly answers it. Sasuke sighs when he sees the number. Oh boy.

"Hey, bastard!" Naruto's voice says cheerfully.

"Loser, what do you want at this hour? It's like ten at night. It's too early for you to be stranded at some part somewhere and most of them have already started. You really should have known better than to join a Fraternity." Sasuke scolds him.

"Hey! Konoha is amazing! You really should try it. Anyway, a bunch of us are going to go to the lake tomorrow. We're inviting as many people as we can. So I figured that I'd try to encourage you to socialize more. I mean Jugo, Suigetsu, and Karin are great, but you need more than just the four of us for friends." Naruto exclaims.

Sasuke considers informing Naruto that it was the quality of your friendships, not the quantity that mattered. The raven haired youth dimisses that thought almost as quickly as it came though. Naruto was Naruto. Once he got an idea in his head, there really was no stopping him.

"Alright. I guess I can come. After all, Suigetsu loves swimming and he's never going to pass up a chance to see Sorority Girls in their swimsuits. Jugo will probably go on a nature hike. Karin would probably enjoy working on her tan." Sasuke offers.

"Sounds perfect. What about you though?" The blonde inquires.

"I'll go just to make you shut up. You'll never let me have a moment's peace otherwise. So I might as well go." Sasuke says smugly.

Naruto chuckles. Yeah. That was true. The bastard was way too antisocial for his own good. He was in his 20's. In Naruto's mind, you weren't allowed to consider being boring until you were at least in your thirties. (He was never going to be boring though. Believe it!)

"Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow then. Don't worry, bastard. I'll distract the girls from slobbering all over you. Once they see me, they'll forget all about you." Naruto teases him.

Naruto was his second best friend and knew that he was gay. Sasuke had two best friends. He did realize that kinda defeated the purpose, but whatever. It wasn't like there was an actual rule against it.

Jugo and Naruto were just two completely different people. They filled the best friend role perfectly. It was just they did so in completely opposite ways.

"Pft. Please. I don't think half of them believe me when I tell them I have no interest in women. They all think that I'm secretly bisexual or lying to them, I guess." Sasuke mutters in disgust.

Naruto had told Sasuke hundreds of times that he didn't see what the attraction was, but he was cool with it. What mattered was that his favorite bastard was happy. Though sometimes, the idiot did ask Sasuke some really embarrassing questions about his sexuality. Other than that,, the blonde didn't give him any grief about it.

"Well you know that there is an easy way to prove that you're serious, right? We just need to find you a boyfriend." Naruto suggests.

Oh Dear God, no! Just no! The last thing that Sasuke needed was for Naruto to try to set him up. That just wasn't going to fly.

"No, Naruto. I'm not going to let you set me up on a blind date or whatever you are plotting." Sasuke says frimly.

"I never said anything about a blind date, but that's a great idea. Seriously, Sasuke. You're in college now. People aren't nearly as skittish about being OUT as they were in high school. We can find you someone. We'll find you someone cool!" Naruto insists.

Sasuke groans. He didn't even want to know who Naruto had in mind. That and he couldn't shake the feeling that Naruto had tried something stupid like this 's when a strange daydream flashes across his mind.

 _"That's what he gets for being late!" Naruto said with a giggle._

 _Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He couldn't believe that a ninja had giggle. Even more disturbing was the fact that the loser actually thought a Jonin was going to fall for this._

 _"Naruto, there is no way that he's going to fall for that. He's a Jonin. An elite ninja." He observed with contempt._

" _Sasuke's right!"_ _Sakura cried out in agreement._

 _A few minutes later, someone did open the door. The bucket filled with erasers fell on top of a silver head of hair and Sasuke blinked. He actually fell for that?_

 _"Hmm. How do I say this? My first impression of you three is that you're idiots." The masked ninja observed._

 _Sasuke mentally groaned. Thanks to Naruto, their instructor thought they were idiots. He was going to kick that loser's ass later._

For some reason, he was twelve again. So was Naruto and Sakura. That was the least strange thing about the daydream though.

Why had he just daydreamed that he, Naruto, and Sakura were twelve year old ninjas. That didn't make any sense. Weird.

"Naruto, I can find my own boyfriend. I don't need any help." Sasuke retorts.

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow. We'll find you someone. Oh and try to smile. People are more likely to want to go out with you, if you smile once in awhile." Naruto says cheekily, before he hang up.

Sasuke sighs and shakes his head. He couldn't believe the nerve of that guy sometimes. Naruto might have been one of his two best friends, but that didn't mean that Sasuke didn't want to strangle him half the time.

"You might as well humor him." Jugo says.

"I guess so. How bad can it be?" Sasuke asks and as soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them.

Sasuke Uchiha was known as a genius. He should have known better than to ask that. Never ask how bad something can get or say things can't get any worse. Things could always be bad or get worse. In hindsight, he had just been asking for it by thinking that.


	2. Chapter 2

Not This Time

 **Author's Note** : Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. Oh and feel free to weigh in on who you believe should get their memories of Ninja Era back. Everyone has been reincarnated, but I haven't decided if everyone will get their memories back or not.

Chapter 2

The next day, Sasuke heads to the lake. The med student could only hope that Naruto would forget about his desire to play matchmaker. He loved Naruto to death, but the man didn't know the first thing about what Sasuke _liked_ when it came to men.

"Try not to kill him. He's only trying to help. Besides, Naruto is right. You're way too uptight. You need a boyfriend." Suigetsu informs Sasuke cheerfully as he pats him on the back.

"Suigetsu, get your hands off of me, if you don't want to lose them." The raven haired college student warns him.

Sasuke had always been popular, but he didn't see the point in getting a boyfriend while he was still studying. High school and college relationships didn't tend to last too long. Usually they were based more off of lust than anything and it was very hard to plan your life together, while you were still trying to find yourself.

If there was one thing that Sasuke hated, it was shallow relationships. He had four good friends who he would die for and a family that he loved more than anything. For him, that was usually enough.

"Morning, bastard! I see you are just as perky as ever! Come on, smile! How are you going to find a stallion, if you look so grumpy all the time?" Naruto inquires merrily as he makes his way over to Taka.

A stallion? Really? Sasuke shakes his head in amusement and decides he probably didn't want to know. Naruto was Naruto. It was probably best to leave it at that.

"A stallion? What does that mean?" Jugo asks in confusion.

"Oh you know! A hot guy that is hung like a horse!" Naruto states with a grin.

Sasuke sighs and smacks Naruto upside the head. It was a good thing that Naruto was going to take over his family's business. The man really had no business being a matchmaker.

"Owe! What was that for?!" The blue eyed coed demands.

"For being an idiot and a pervert. I don't need your help. If I wanted to find a boyfriend, I would have done it by now." Sasuke hisses at him.

The last thing he needed was for his well-meaning, but foolish friend to embarrass him by trying to set him up with every gay man on campus. Sasuke was also sure that Naruto would try to hook him up with the bisexual men, if none of the students in the first camp were suitable. That was just who Naruto was.

Once he got an idea into his head, there was no stopping him. It was a trait that Sasuke usually admired, but it could be annoying sometimes. This was just one of those times.

"Well maybe, you just don't know what you're missing!" Naruto protests.

"This isn't going to end well." Karin whispers to Jugo.

Sasuke saw his Shield nod in agreement and it didn't take a genius to realize what they were talking about. Well more specifically, it didn't take a genius to realize WHO they were talking about. They were talking about him.

Karin might have thought she was being subtle by whispering, but she wasn't. Sasuke had excellent hearing. There were very few people who could truly stop him from eavesdropping, if Sasuke was determined enough.

"I just don't see the point in starting a relationship that probably isn't going to last more than a year. How often do people actually marry their high school or college sweetheart?" Sasuke retorts.

"Stop being such a pessimistic bastard! Sometimes things work out! You'll never know, if you don't try though!" Naruto insists.

Sasuke shakes his head. Honestly, Naruto could be really naïve. He was fully aware that occasionally people stayed with their first love, but that didn't happen often.

"How about you let me find my own boyfriend?" The Uchiha replies.

"Sure! Of course, that's assuming that your Royal Prissiness can find someone that meets your ridiculously high standards. We all know that you won't. That's why you're lucky to have us. We got your back. We'll find you someone perfect!" The blue eyed coed continues on, ignoring Sasuke's protests.

The med student feels himself twitch. Naruto just wasn't getting the message. He didn't need or want any help when it came to his love life. What was so hard to understand about that?

"Idiot. I know what I like and what I don't. You don't know what I find attractive in a guy. Knock it off!" Sasuke says.

Naruto was a force of nature though. Despite the Uchiha's protests, he drags the raven haired man into the water. Sasuke sighs and figures it was a good thing that he had put on ruby red trunks in advance. Naruto probably wouldn't have cared if he drug him into the water with or without his bathing suit though.

"There! That's not so bad. Now smile, bastard! Let's find you a hottie!" The blond exclaims cheerfully.

Meanwhile Kakashi sighs as he grades some papers. To say the least,, he was not in a good mood. That had to be the fourth time that he had read that essay on the Ninja Era, but the silver haired man couldn't remember a single word of it.

His mind was far too distracted to concentrate on something as mundane as some essays. Sasuke was now Orochimaru's assistant and the Professor had made it rather clear that his intentions were anything, but platonic. The entire situation was just extremely disturbing.

"He's a smart boy. I'm sure Sasuke will keep his distance." Kakashi mutters as he tries in vain to focus on the paper in front of him.

Boy was a stretch. Sasuke was a graduate student. By anyone's definition, the youngest Uchiha was a man. A very attractive man at that, but he was still far too young for Kakashi.

Not to mention the fact, that he had once been one of the History Professor's students. Such a relationship would be doomed from the start. Kakashi understood this logically, of course.

"Love isn't logical though." The academic muses.

If love was logical, he definitely wouldn't have developed feelings for one of his brightest students. Truly, it was something of a pity that Sasuke had chosen another major besides history. He could understand why though. Becoming a doctor was far more likely to impress the man's father than becoming a historian or a professor would be.

He sighs as he remembers the first day that he met Sasuke. The kid wasn't like most of his classmates. He had very specific goals and that was probably part of what drew him to the youngest Uchiha so much.

 _"Welcome class. I thought that today we'd start by introducing ourselves. Sakura, why don't you go first?" He asked kindly._

 _"What do you mean? Like what am I supposed to say?" The pink haired woman asked in confusion._

 _Kakashi sighed. Well he supposed in all fairness, he should have been more specific. No mater. He'd toss her a lifeline._

 _"Your likes. Your dislikes. Your hobbies. Your dreams. Things of that nature." He explained._

 _"Oh well my dream is to become a famous doctor and get married to the man of my dreams! I like shopping and traveling! I dislike loud and rude people!" The young woman said as she glanced at a dark haired man and giggled._

 _Well it didn't take a genius to figure out who she was interested in. Kakashi tried to suppress a chuckle at the annoyed look on the object of her affection's face. Obviously, this love was a rather unrequited one._

 _"That was very specific. Naruto, why don't you go next?" He inquired of a bubbly looking blonde._

 _"Alright! My name is Naruto Uzumaki! I like all kinds of ramen! I dislike the three minute wait time though. My hobby is martial arts and trying as many kinds of ramen as I can find. Oh and my dream is to be the CEO of Hokage Inc., one day. It's my family's business!" He shouted confidently._

 _"That's a very nice goal. How about you, Sasuke?" Kakashi questioned the rather annoyed looking boy._

 _There was no need to ask his last name. With those raven black locks, that ivory skin, dark eyes, and classical Japanese features…he could only be an Uchiha. This had to be Itachi's younger brother._

 _Kakashi had graduated the same year as Itachi. The younger man was a genius and had been able to condense his coursework rather tightly. He'd finished a couple years, before his expected graduation date. It was impressive, really._

 _"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I dislike a lot of things. I like my family and beating the blonde idiot at everything. My hobbies are martial arts and writing. I don't really want to call my goal a dream because I WILL make it a reality. I want to become a doctor and make my family proud of me." He said._

 _Obviously, he had a strong need to prove himself. Kakashi could always peg which students had "daddy issues." Sasuke was one of them._

 _It was only to be expected really. It had to be tough having a genius for an older brother. Very few people could truly compete with Itachi Uchiha. Sasuke would be one of them though. Kakashi was sure of it._

 _"Well that was interesting. My name is Kakashi. I like and dislike a lot of things. As for my hobbies, well I'd rather not say. My dreams, I'll keep that to myself." He states._

 _"HEY! YOU DIDN'T TELL US ANYTHING ABOUT YOU, BUT YOUR NAME!" Sakura and Naruto protested._

 _"Exactly. Life is rather boring, if you find out all the mysteries at the beginning." Kakashi said with a sly smile as he went back to reading his book._

Kakashi couldn't blame Orochimaru for being attracted to the graduate student. There was no getting around the fact that Sasuke WAS a beautiful man. He'd never actually seen an ugly Uchiha before, so perhaps that was something of a given. There was as lot more to him than that though.

It was his intensity that mostly caught his attention. Unless Naruto or Taka were around, the young man mostly kept to himself and he was on the quiet side. That clearly wasn't because he was shy though.

Sasuke just seemed to be a natural introvert. The youngest Uchiha's eyes gave him away every single time though. He was always fully engrossed in whatever current task had caught his attention. He really did have such expressive eyes.

Elsewhere Orochimaru smirks as he looks over his various test results so far. Kabuto was showing such progress. The man was one of his many lab assistants, but the silver haired Teacher's Assistant was also one of his favorites.

Why? Well Kabuto was completely loyal. In exchange for his loyalty, Orochimaru had promised that he would secure the other man a professorship son. That made him a vital asset in his research.

"Well we know so far that you were a ninja in your past life." Orochimaru observes.

"A medical ninja, yes." Kabuto agrees and the elder man nods in confirmation.

That did open up a world of possibilities. There were so many Jutsus that had been lost, but medical ones were of particular interest to Orochimaru. After all, he was a medical researcher. It was only natural that he would have a fascination with Jutsus used for medical purposes.

"Have you seen anything else?" Orochimaru asks.

"I've seen many things. The images are all blurred together though. All of them flit across my mind so rapidly, that I can scarcely make any sense of them at all." Kabuto admits.

He deeply wished that wasn't the case. Nothing would have made him happier than to make Orochimaru happy. It was of vital importance that he please the other researcher, if he wanted to become a professor.

"Perhaps we should lower the dosage then." Orochimaru observes.

"Yes, that might be a good idea. That might make the images easier to process. So did you really get Sasuke to agree to help us on this venture?" Kabuto inquires.

Orochimaru nods and smirks. It was something of a miracle that Sasuke had agreed. He couldn't be more happy about that development though.

Kabuto's flashes might move swiftly, but he had identified Sasuke. That meant that the silver haired teacher's assistant had known Sasuke in his previous life. The odds of that seemed extremely low, but it was nothing short of a wonderful coincidence. Orochimaru might even go so far as to say it was fate.

"Yes, I did. I can't wait to fully pull him into the program. We are going to learn so much. I never would have expected the serum to stimulate chakra pathways and long forgotten memories of past lives, but it has." The Professor observes.

"Of course. Having him in the program can only be a benefit to us." The bespectacled man states.

Kabuto wasn't entirely certain what was in the serum yet, but he knew that it was powerful. Unfortunately, it had to be administered either orally or by injection. He chose injection because despite his best efforts, swallowing the bitter liquid was a rather unpleasant experience. Every single time that he had attempted to do so, it took all his self-control not to gag.

"True. Well then. I need you to write down your observations. We need to go over them carefully. Leave nothing out. The more information that we have to work with, the better." Orochimaru reasons.

"I've already written out my observations." Kabuto says as he hands the other man a notebook.

Orochimaru nods approvingly at Kabuto. That was part of what made him such a good assistant. He was very logical and did what needed to be done without any prompting. Hopefully, Sasuke would eventually adopt the same habit.

A short while later, Kakashi decides that he just wasn't going to get any serious work done for the day. With that in mind, he sighs and decides to head to the lake. It was a beautiful day. He might as well take advantage of it.

"Hey, bastard! This is Sasori!" Naruto says excitedly.

Sasuke mentally groans and smiles politely at Sasori. Naruto was obsessed with setting him up. Idly, he notes that Sasori was a rather attractive red head. As much as he hated to admit it, the blonde did have good physical tastes or at least made a reasonable guess for what he might view as attractive.

"Is that really your name? Bastard?" Sasori teases him.

Sasori also had a sense of humor. That was another good sign. Still Sasuke just didn't think it was right to start something with the red head. After all, he had a thing for Kakashi and it was unlikely the two of them would end up in the same place after college.

"My name is Sasuke. Naruto is just being an idiot. That's normal for him though." Sasuke replies with a smirk.

"Yes, Naruto does love to play the part of the buffoon. His heart is in the right place though." The older man offers.

Sasuke couldn't deny that. Naruto meant well. It was just that he lacked any sense of tact.

"That's true." The raven haired student agrees.

"No way! I think that's Kakashi!" His friend observes as he looks at a silver haired man approaching the lake.

Sasuke blinks. That was definitely Kakashi. A shirtless Kakashi. A shirtless Kakashi wearing nothing, but a pair of dark blue swimming trunks.

"Well he always had had a good relationship with the younger members of his classes and this is a popular hangout for the young and old alike." Sasori reasons.

"Now, now. Calling me old is a bit premature, don't you think?" Kakashi asks with a sly smile as he approaches them.

He knew that it was petty. Kakashi really shouldn't interrupt their conversation, but jealousy had gotten the better of him. Seeing Sasuke check out the red head was just a bit too much to take.

While he certainly hoped that his former student would find love, the professor just didn't want to watch it in real time. Sasuke had definitely been admiring Sasori. There was a physical attraction there, but Kakashi was reasonably confident that they weren't actually dating.

"Of course. I just meant in the general sense." Sasori says with a sly smile of his own.

"Of course, you did. How are all of you?" The professor inquires in what he hopes was a friendly and casual fashion.

The last thing that he needed was for Sasuke to notice he was jealous. The man would never let him live it down. That meant Kakashi had only one option. He had to be casual.

"I'm good. Just enjoying the day." Sasori replies.

"Mmm same. Perfect day for a swim." Sasuke agrees with the other college student.

The youngest Uchiha was doing his best not to openly gape at Kakashi. Damn. Sasori was hot, but Kakashi was in a league of his own. That well sculpted chest and those biceps were a force to be reckoned with. Not to mention the blue trunks definitely flattered his ass.

At the moment, Sasuke thinking two things. The first was that he hoped that he didn't get a nosebleed from the sight. The second was that he really should try to commit this image to memory. It was going to be the stuff of quite a few intense fantasies later on.

"Oh I'm great. I'm just trying to help Sasuke find a boyfriend. He needs someone to remove that stick that is shoved up his a-" Naruto begins to answer Kakashi's question, only to be cut off by Sasuke covering his mouth.

Naturally, his best friend had to go and ruin it. Not only had the blonde embarrassed Sasuke in front of Sasori, but also Kakashi. Damn it. He wanted to crawl into a hole and not come out until graduation now. He couldn't believe that Naruto had said something that stupid!

On second thought, he could. Sasuke just couldn't believe how unlucky he was. Not that he had any real chance with Kakashi, but it would have been nice if he could at least maintain his dignity in front of the other man. Oh and there went any chances that he might have had with the red head. Nice.

"That's kind of you, Naruto. I'm sure that Sasuke doesn't need any help finding a boyfriend. I know that it can be difficult to find the right person though. It took me forever to find Deidara." Sasori offers.

Oh. Nevermind. He'd never had the chance with Sasori. The man was apparently already taken.

"Wait. You're dating Deidara?! I thought you were single?!" Naruto demands.

"We just started dating two weeks ago. I wanted to make sure that we were serious, before announcing it to everyone. You know how quickly college romances can heat up and burn out." The toxicology student says with a shrug.

Kakashi nods in understanding. He was rather relieved. Sasori was no threat to him. He was already in a relationship. That meant Sasuke was still single.

He mentally kicks himself for such thoughts. The man was far too young for him and it would be wildly inappropriate. It was also extremely inappropriate to stare at Sasuke's state of undress. (Well semi undressed, but Kakashi digressed.)

"Oh. Right. Sorry, Sasuke. I thought he was single." Naruto says.

"You're such a loser. You should ask people about their relationship status, before you try to pretend that you're Cupid. I still don't need any help finding a boyfriend. Like Sasori said, college romances are mostly meaningless and I'd rather focus on my studies anyway." Sasuke replies.

That was a relief. Sasuke was more interested in his studies than romance. Since that was the case, maybe Kakashi would eventually be able to force himself to ignore his attraction to his former student. That would certainly be in both of their best interests.

"That's probably a wise decision." Kakashi contributes.

"Mhm. Well I think I see a cooler over there. I'm going to go get a drink. I'll be back in a bit." Sasuke says.

He needed to get out of there before he did something stupid. Sasuke definitely didn't want to be caught staring at the college professor or worse. He might actually get a nosebleed.

A shirtless Kakashi was a wondrous sight. It reminded Sasuke of the ancient marble states of Greece and Rome. It was something of a pity that he didn't really possess much in the way of artistic ability. He would have liked to capture the moment in a painting, sculpture, or something of that nature.

"Oh well. You can't have everything." He whispers.

Sasuke really wished that he was just a little bit older. Kakashi would never see him as anything other than his former student. Unfortunately, that just wasn't the case and he needed to deal with the reality of the situation.

"Hey, those free or you charging?" Sasuke asks as he glances down at the cooler.

Inside were loads of water bottles, pop, and alcoholic beverages. It was quite the impressive selection really. Sasuke was almost certain that Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino were going to charge him for the drink.

He didn't care though. Sasuke needed and excuse to get away from Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasori. That situation had just been a recipe for disaster. Sasuke knew when to cut his losses and right now, that was exactly what he needed to do.

"Charging." Shikamaru and Choji say.

"For you, they're free!" Ino says happily as she hands one of the sodas to Sasuke.

"Oh come on! He doesn't even like girls, Ino! Man, this is such a drag." Shikamaru whines.

Sasuke just smirks and takes the drink. He thanks Ino and slowly makes his way back to the others. Maybe, by the time he got there Kakashi would be gone. That way, he wouldn't have to worry about Naruto embarrassing him more.

That was something Naruto was very good at. Embarrassing him. Normally, he didn't mind. This was Kakashi though.

"He's always been different." Sasuke says and that's when he was hit with another strange image.

He, Naruto, and Sakura were all still about twelve. Kakashi was asking them to tell him about themselves. It was all so surreal. It was like the first day he met Kakashi, only he was younger and a ninja.

"That was weird." He mutters under his breath.

Maybe, he was just studying too hard. Sasuke decides at that moment that he wasn't going to pull anymore all night cramming sessions. Yeah. A good night's sleep should drive away these strange daydreams! That was probably all he needed!


	3. Chapter 3

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** "Scientific facts" and "scientific theories" will be introduced in this story. This story isn't meant to be very scientifically accurate, but fun. If these musings sound "realistic," great.

Chapter 3

Two weeks later and Sasuke was beginning to get legitimately creeped out. He kept having strange dreams and most of them were unpleasant. At first, he pawned that off to working with Orochimaru. Now, he wasn't so sure.

"Sasuke, we've been working very hard on a serum to stimulate chakra networks. Kabuto is our first test subject. There are others of course, but he's the one that has given us the most useful data." Orochimaru tells him.

"You're actually testing this serum on people?!" Sasuke demands.

"Of course. No great scientific discovery came without a little risk." The professor replies reassuringly.

Well at least Sasuke was confident that Orochimaru thought it was reassuring. In reality, he was less than impressed by that. He couldn't believe that the university had already approved of testing this serum on human beings already.

"The tests so far have yielded most promising results." Kabuto adds.

As much as Sasuke hated to admit it, the Teaching Assistant had just made him curious. What did he mean by promising results? Where they already getting close to returning chakra networks to their original states?

"What do you mean by promising?" The youngest Uchiha asks warily.

"Kabuto's chakra networks are already expanding slightly and he has been having most interesting dreams. From ancient texts, we know that chakra was closely linked to emotion. So we view the dreams as a positive sign." The Medical Professor says.

As much as Sasuke hated to admit it, that did sound rather interesting. Maybe, he'd explore those topics more later. If he was going to be involved in this research, it was best to familiarize himself with the theoretical aspects of it.

"That's interesting, but I still think Kabuto is crazy for willingly take that serum. What's in it, anyway?" Sasuke inquires.

"Oh Kabuto just understands that if you don't take any risks, you won't get any rewards. Don't you, Kabuto?" Orochimaru coos at him.

"Of course." The silver haired man says smugly.

It was strange. Kakashi and Kabuto technically had the same colored hair, but Sasuke just liked Kakashi's better. Maybe it was the wild half hazard way he styled it. Kabuto looked like a hippie to him.

Actually on second thought, Sasuke doubted the History Professor styled his hair. The man probably rolled out of bed every morning and just accepted whatever condition his hair was in. Sasuke himself tried to brush his hair, but it was just naturally spiky in the back. He wondered if Kakashi liked spiky .

"Have you experienced any other side effects?" The college student inquires.

"Some. It's still mostly strange dreams or daydreams. Sometimes I feel oddly energetic or sleepy. Nothing too bad though. I think that's just my body adjusting to my opening chakra networks." The bespectacled man observes.

Sasuke nods in understanding. Honestly, Kabuto was lucky that was _**all**_ that had happened to him. He doubted Orochimaru had even told the Teaching Assistant what was in that stuff.

Orochimaru was not the type of person that he would trust with his health. God only knows what was in that serum. He wondered if Orochimaru would even care, if any of his test subjects died during the experiment?

"That's good. Are these dreams good or bad dreams most of the time?" Sasuke asks.

"More bad than good, but there are good ones in there as well." The other man answers truthfully.

He'd probably care because Orochimaru would be concerned for his reputation. The volunteers would have to sign a waiver. At worst, the University might get sued. Though Sasuke was reasonably confident that Orochimaru wouldn't be punished.

The worst that might happen was him losing his post. There were other colleges and universities that would gladly take him though. If they didn't, Sasuke was sure that Dr. Sannin would still be able to make a good living writing books and medical research papers. The man had almost nothing to worry about.

"Kabuto has fully consented to all the testing that he's undergoing. I've had him and other test subjects sign a consent form. It's all perfectly legal and consensual." Orochimaru says.

Sasuke tries his best to suppress a shiver at the suddenly suggestive tone in the older man's voice. Orochimaru was hitting on him again. He really wished that the guy would take a hint.

It wasn't that Sasuke was against dating older men, but not THAT much older. Orochimaru could easily be his father. He could potentially even be his grandfather. Apparently, none of that bothered him though.

"That's good to know. I'd like to go over Kabuto's notes and do you have any books about the Theory of Chakra Evolution?" Sasuke inquires.

"Of course. There's a book right on the table over there and here is a copy of Kabuto's notes. Don't show them to anyone. We wouldn't want anyone to steal our research or try to copy it. Now, would we?" Orochimaru asks slyly.

The graduate student raises an eyebrow. The Professor was rather concerned about anyone seeing this stuff. Not that Sasuke was going to show it to anyone to begin with, but now his curiosity was peeked.

"Of course. Well I'm going to go. My roommate is probably wondering where the Hell I am by now." Sasuke states.

"Naturally. Stay safe, Sasuke. You never know what kind of things are lurking about at this time of night." The older man warns him.

"Uh huh. Well I'll see you guys tomorrow." Sasuke says as he picks up the book and notes, before bounding off.

He couldn't wait to get out of there. As a general rule, he wanted nothing to do with Dr. Sannin. Unfortunately, the opportunity was too good to pass up. Orochimaru was right when he said this was truly groundbreaking research.

Meanwhile Kakashi was out at a club with Guy. The man taught Sports Medicine at the University. The two of them had been the best of friends since they were in elementary school. Both of them had grown up in the same neighborhood.

That meant that the silver haired man was used to the other professor's rather eccentric behavior. In Kakashi's mind, they were both far too old to be going to a nightclub. Apparently, Guy did not share this opinion though.

"Remind me again why we are here?" Kakashi asks in amusement.

"You need to get out more. You're going to be an old man before you're even middle aged at this rate. Your hair is already gray!" The energetic teacher exclaims.

"You know that I was born with silver hair. It's silver. Not gray." Kakashi insists.

He had gotten teased about it without mercy when he was younger. Fortunately, that had gone away by high school. By high school, everyone thought that it was the coolest thing ever.

It was something of a pity that he had no interest in women. The girls had rather liked his hair and he could have gone out with any of them. It was rather ironic that he was only interested in men when he considered that.

"Sure. Whatever you say, old man." Guy says with a wink and Kakahsi just groans.

It was going to be a long night. He could tell that right now. The History Professor decides that it would be in his best interest to order a drink now. God only knows what his best friend had in store for him.

"Oh don't groan like that. It's a beautiful night and this place is filled with lots of beautiful people. I'm sure at least some of them are of your persuasion." He continues on merrily as he flashes Kakashi a bright smile.

Kakashi sometimes wondered what brand of toothpaste Guy used. His smiles was almost as blinding as winter snow when the sunlight hit it just right. It was both impressive and a little scary.

"I'm sure that's true. More and more people are open about that sort of thing now. That doesn't mean that I'll meet someone here who is compatible with me in more ways than just a shared sexual orientation though." The other professor muses as he sips his drink.

"Maybe you're right, but what if you're wrong? Mr. Right could have just walked in through the door for all you know." The spandex lover says with a wink.

Kakashi really did make an effort not to pick on people for their fashion choices, but Guy made that difficult sometimes. What grown man wore green spandex to a nightclub? Honestly.

"I guess anything is possible, but that seems rather unlikely." He says.

"Oh come on. Ask one man to dance. I'm sure that you have a pretty good gut instinct for who might be interested." He says cheerfully.

"Oh alright. You aren't going to let this go until I do, are you?" Kakashi asks.

He sighs when Guy shakes his head. Well it was probably best to get this over with. Besides, how bad could one dance be?

That's when he saw Asuma and smirks. The man must have been taking his research assistants out to celebrate Ino's birthday. This was perfect.

"He's as straight as an arrow." Kakashi whispers to himself as he heads over.

Asuma was married with a toddler. Kurenai was very much aware of their friendship. She wouldn't mind, if Kakashi danced with her husband. Perfect.

"Asuma, Guy is basically forcing me to dance with someone. He's only trying to help, but I highly doubt that I'm going to meet my soul mate in a nightclub. Would you mind dancing with me?" He whispers to him.

"Well his heart is in the right place, I'm sure. I don't mind. Good thing that he doesn't know me. Sometimes it's nice to work in a museum instead of on a college campus. Less gossipy." Asuma observes with a chuckle as he heads to the dance floor with the silver haired man.

Kakashi chuckles. He couldn't disagree with that. In some ways, Asuma was very lucky that he worked at a museum and that his wife taught third grade.

"That much is true." Kakashi says as the two begin to dance, much to their students' amusement.

"I'm sure when you find the right person, you'll know. For me, it was love at first sight with Kurenai." He tells him.

"I never figured you for such a romantic. Though I suppose that you must have had some way capture and keep Kurenai's interest. She's a wonderful and beautiful woman. I imagine that you faced stiff competition for her affections." Kakashi says.

Asuma snorts in amusement. The two spent the next hour or two, dancing and drinking. Guy seemed to be buying it and Kakashi allowed himself to relax. For a time.

That's when Sasuke and the rest of Taka walk into the club. Jugo mentally winces when he sees Kakashi dancing with a man. Oh this wouldn't end well.

Sasuke might be able to hide his crush from everyone else, but he knew the truth. The youngest Uchiha was completely head over heels for his former professor. Seeing him with another man was going to be jarring to say the least.

"I'm going to go get a drink." Sasuke says to them before heading to the bar.

"Alright! I'm going to go see if I can't find a hottie to dance with!" Suigetsu says cheerfully.

"As much as it pains me to agree with him on anything, I'm gonna do the same." Karin agrees, before heading off to the dance floor.

Jugo sighs and follows Sasuke to the bar. He had to make sure that his friend didn't do something stupid. That was definitely a possibility at the moment.

"Are you okay with this?" He asks.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke replies as he orders a shot of vodka.

"With seeing Kakashi dance with another man. I know that you like him. It's okay to feel hurt. Just don't do something crazy, alright?" Jugo pleads.

Sasuke shakes his head. He wasn't going to do something crazy. That would be pointless. Kakashi wasn't his boyfriend and he had no right to be jealous.

He wasn't though. That man that his former professor was dancing with was obviously straight. It was just it hurt to know that the only thing he would ever have when it came to Kakashi was fantasies.

"I'm not going to do that. I don't have any right to. It's not like he's my boyfriend or anything. That and he's dancing with a straight guy. So there's no much point in being jealous. It's just that it's frustrating. He'll never see me that way because I was his student. Not that I can blame him for that. He's just being a professional." Sasuke says.

That was ironic. Being a professional wasn't exactly something that Kakashi was known for. The man often showed up late and read erotica while his students took their tests.

Despite that, Sasuke was sure that there were some lines that the older man wouldn't cross. Dating a former student was probably one of them. The age gap was probably another. There were couples with bigger age gaps, but theirs was still a rather significant one.

"Right. Well I am sorry. I know that it's hard to fall for your teacher, but I'm sure you'll find someone else." He says.

"Maybe. It's stupid. I can't believe I left myself do it in the first place, but there's just something about him. I've never had this kind of reaction to anyone." Sasuke says with a sigh.

"Maybe, it's time for you to get him out of your system. Get some closure." Jugo suggests.

Sasuke pauses as he thinks about it. Jugo might be right. It was a nightclub. If Kakashi rejected him, he could always blame it on the vodka.

"I think that you have a point. I'll be right back." Sasuke says with a smirk as he heads towards the dance floor.

Elsewhere Orochimaru smirks. It was only a matter of time really. He had subtly been placing a drop at a time of the serum in Sasuke's water bottles at the lab. Sadly, that was all that he could get away with for now.

The serum tasted awful, but it was barely noticeable when it was being diluted by an entire bottle of water. He had to be careful. Orochimaru was well aware that Sasuke would likely never consent to taking it. So he had to improvise.

"Are you certain this is a wise idea? We have no idea what prolonged minimized exposure might do to him." Kabuto inquires.

He had never been that fond of Sasuke, but he didn't want the man to die. Though perhaps that was being overdramatic. He had been taking much higher dosages and he was fine. Still not everyone's body reacted the same way to foreign substances. With that in mind, there was really no way of knowing what sort of impact this would have on Sasuke.

"As we discussed earlier, no great scientific achievement was ever gained without any risk." He replies.

"Yes, that's true. Sasuke didn't consent to taking this risk though. I did. There is a difference. Don't you think?" The silver haired man asks.

"Kabuto, if you are having second thoughts about this experiment, you can always remove yourself from it. I won't hold it against you, but you won't have the benefit of being listed as my research assistant when you're applying for a permanent professorship here." Dr. Sannin says slyly.

Kabuto freezes. There was no missing the underlying implication. Orochimaru was more than willing to prevent him from becoming a professor at this university, if he backed out.

"Of course, I don't want to quit. I was just worried about the potential ethical implications of forcibly making Sasuke a test subject without his knowledge. I understand that sometimes one must do unpleasant things in order to achieve great things, but I thought that the issue was worth discussing. That's all." He assures him quickly.

"Naturally. Well I'm glad that you feel comfortable raising such issues with me. Don't worry about it though. Sasuke agreed to be my research assistant. In a way, that is consent." Orochimaru states.

Kabuto thought that was stretching the boundaries of the word, but he nods his head. If it came down to him getting a professorship or not, well he was always going to do whatever was necessary to get it. Besides, Sasuke looked fine anyway.

"I suppose you're right. What's next?" He asks.

"Well I want you to continue making your notes about your experiences and we'll monitor Sasuke to see if there are any changes in his behavior." Orochimaru states.

"That sounds like a good idea. I really do have high hopes that we'll be able to do this. The memories of my past life are fascinating, but it's truly the medical implications of this project that hold me the most captivated." The Teaching Assistant says.

"Understandable. Well let us continue our important work then." Orochimaru says with a smile.

Back at the club, Sasuke had made his way over to Kakashi. He knew that he had to say something. Jugo was right. He needed closure damn it.

"Are you done dancing with the straight guy?" The college student asks bluntly.

He mentally winces at how stupid that sounded. Well it was now or never. Maybe, he shouldn't be worried about sounding elegant so much as getting the answers that he had been desperately seeking for years now.

"Well you got yourself a feisty one, Kakashi. I'll see you later." Asuma says with a chuckle as he heads off.

"I do, indeed. I'll see you around later, Asuma." Kakashi calls out and the other man nods as he walks out the door.

Well that was a good sign. Kakashi didn't sound angry with him. He should be angry with him, really. What he just did had been bratty at best. That wasn't a good start to his venture.

It was too late to turn back now though. One way or another, Sasuke was going to get his answers. Nothing was going to stop him. Not even his big, fat mouth.

"Sorry. That came out wrong." Sasuke says with a sigh.

"It's alright. There are worse things you could have said and it was accurate. Asuma is straight. He's married with a toddler. I asked him to dance to get my friend off my back. He's been trying to set me up in a manner very similar the one that Naruto is doing for you." The other man admits.

Sasuke couldn't help, but feel irritated at that. He knew that it was highly unlikely that he would ever have a chance with Kakashi, but he didn't appreciate Kakashi's friend's efforts. He was stealing away what little chance, Sasuke might have had.

It was a microscopic chance, but that didn't matter. Really, it was the principle of the thing. Sasuke had never been so annoyed at someone that he had never met before.

"And judging by the fact you're dancing with a straight man, you didn't willingly signup for his matchmaking services." Sasuke says.

In his mind, there was no need to phrase it as a question. It was a statement of fact. Honestly, this friend of Kakashi's must have been really dense.

A man like Kakashi didn't need help. He could easily find "companionship" anytime that he wanted. Why the stranger couldn't see that was truly beyond the college student's comprehension at the moment.

"Perceptive as always. I knew there was a reason why you did so well in my class. Well that and all your other classes. Though I suppose it does run in your family." The silver haired instructor muses.

"Yeah. You could say that. My family's tremendously talented, but we all have our Achilles' Heel. Mine just is more annoying than my brother's." Sasuke admits with a sigh.

"I have always wondered about that. What's yours?" He asks.

Sasuke pauses. It was now or never. This was his big chance. He could finally tell Kakashi how he felt and have an answer.

"Apparently, that I've fallen for the only person who will likely never return my feelings." The youngest Uchiha begins cautiously.

He could see Kakashi's surprise. Sasuke wasn't sure if the other man knew yet or not, but he'd keep going nonetheless. He had to get this out of his system.

"That's unfortunate, but do you know that for sure? Have you tried telling them how you feel?" He asks.

"I'm tryin-G!" Sasuke says as his eyes suddenly glaze over and his entire body begins to shake.

"Sasuke?!" Kakashi calls out in horror as he catches the young man in his arms.

He quickly stuffs a napkin into the man's mouth to keep him from biting his tongue. It looked like the man was having a seizure, but Sasuke had never had that sort of medical issue before. Once, he had him firmly in his arms he rushes Sasuke out of the club and towards the nearest hospital.

Normally, it was a 10 minute drive. He got there in five. It was a damn miracle that he hadn't been stopped buy the police on his way there.

"HELP! I need a doctor! My friend is having a seizure!" He calls out.

Immediately, a pair of nurses rushes over and grabs Sasuke. Presumably, they were taking him for treatment. He quickly follows.

"What on Earth happened?" One asks.

"I don't know. We were at the club speaking normally, when he suddenly started convulsing. He would have fallen onto the floor, if I hadn't intervened. I took him here as quickly as I could." The college professor says as he watches Sasuke's body shake fretfully.

"Does he have any history of seizures?" The woman asks.

"Not that I'm aware of and he's also not on any medications that I know of either. Though really, we should probably call his family. They'd know better than I would." He says.

The nurse nods and finds Sasuke's cell phone. She presses the contact marked brother and waits for a response. So does a very anxious Kakashi.

 _At that same time, Sasuke was writhing in agony against the hospital bed. Only, he didn't know he was in a hospital. He was in a house and he was a child again. That and he had stumbled upon his parents' dead bodies. They were laying in a pool of their own blood._

 _"Mother! Mother!" He screamed out desperately as he tries to help them, but it was to no avail._

 _"They won't wake up. They're dead." A familiar voice calls out._

 _"Big brother! Who did this?!" Sasuke screamed at him_

That's when Sasuke woke up. He woke up screaming. He had never been more terrified in his life.


	4. Chapter 4

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.

Chapter 4

Kakashi winces as the nurses restrain Sasuke. The poor kid wasn't in his right mind. He wasn't sure what the college student thought that he was seeing, but he was absolutely terrified.

"Big brother, who did this?! Who did this?!" Sasuke kept screaming over and over again.

The silver haired professor wasn't sure what _**this**_ was, but it obviously had to bad. Really bad. Sasuke was hardly a shirking violet. He had never lacked courage. So what on Earth could cause him to call out so desperately for his elder brother?

"What's wrong with him?" He demands of the nurses.

"He's hallucinating." The nurse replies as they inject Sasuke with a sedative.

It was at that point that Sasuke's friends and his brother came in. Oh boy. This wasn't going to be pretty. How could he possibly explain this to them?

A perfect healthy young man just suddenly collapsed and started having a seizure. That and hallucinations?! It didn't make any sense. He was far from a doctor, but this wasn't normal.

"What happened to him?!" Itachi demands.

"I don't know. He was at a nightclub and we were talking normally. Out of nowhere, he just started convulsing. I swear that I've never seen anything like it." He says.

"Was he drinking?!" Itachi thunders at him.

Was he drinking? Kakashi didn't know. Sasuke was of age. If he wanted to drink, no one could stop him. He had been at a nightclub though. It was more likely than not, that Sasuke had been drinking.

"I don't know for certain, but it's likely. Why do you think that someone spiked his drink?" The college professor asks.

"I think that it's quite possible. Sasuke has never had seizures or episodes like this before. Someone of his age is h highly unlikely to just have a fit like this without any prior history of doing so." The elder Uchiha says.

Kakashi didn't particularly care for Itachi's tone. He doubted the other man was seriously accusing him of spiking Sasuke's drink, but Itachi was subtly lashing out. It was understandable though.

Someone had possibly drugged his baby brother. Anyone was going to be upset when something like that happened. It was only natural.

"Well Sasuke has always been blessed with many admirers. It's certainly plausible that one of them might have resorted to devious behavior to get his attention." He says with a sigh.

"The Uchiha Curse of Good Looks, I suppose. Though I would have thought he'd be smart enough to never drink from something that he set down." Itachi says thoughtfully.

That did baffle Kakashi as well. That was a rule that most middle schoolers and certainly the vast majority of high school students would know. A graduate student like Sasuke should've been aware of this rule.

No matter how he looked at the situation, something wasn't adding up. Though he was beginning to have his suspicions. Sasuke had never gotten "sick" until after he started working with Orochimaru.

"Is he going to be okay?" Naruto asks desperately.

Kakashi smiles at this. It was nice to know that at a bare minimum Sasuke really did have lots of people who cared about him. He'd get through this.

"We think so. We're going to run some tests. If you really think his drink was spiked, it would show up." The nurse assures them.

"I've never seen Sasuke like this before. It's freaky." Sugietsu says.

Of course, that was the wrong thing to say. Karin whacks the white haired boy for that. Truthfully, Kakashi thought she was being a bit too harsh on the man in this particular instance.

Oh well. It was nothing that he hadn't survived before. Apparently, the violet eyed college student greatly enjoyed irritating his female friend. Sasuke had mentioned this to him more than once.

"What was that for?!" Suigetsu demands.

"For being an idiot. Don't call him freaky because he probably got drugged!" The red head snaps at him.

Jugo was just watching quietly and looking at Sasuke with concern. Clearly, he was the stabilizing force in that group. That was good. Kakashi had a feeling they were going to need the gentle giant's help when Sasuke woke up.

Someone had to be able to calm him. He'd likely be too embarrassed to talk to Itachi. Kakashi also found it doubtful that Sasuke would want to talk to him about such things either. Of course, there was always Karin, Naruto, and Suigetsu. Though he suspected they were all a bit too abrasive for a delicate situation like this.

"You know what I meant!" Suigetsu protests.

"They need to run the tests. We should leave to let them do so." Itachi says and the others reluctantly head off with the eldest Uchiha.

"Let's head back to the dorm. I hate to say it, but there's not much that we can do here." Jugo says.

Kakashi watches as the rest of Taka and Naruto have an internal debate about that suggestion. It was obvious that they didn't want to abandon their friend in his hour of need, but Jugo was right. There really wasn't anything they could do for Sasuke at the moment.

"Yeah. I guess you're right. Hang in there, Itachi. The bastard is way too stubborn to let a spiked drink get him down for long." The blonde tells him.

"Thank you, Naruto. I'll be sure to keep that in mind. All of you should go home and get some rest. It's late." Itachi says.

"Yeah. He's right. Come on." Karin says as she leads the others away.

That meant that Kakashi was alone with Itachi. Damn it. This wouldn't end well. The elder Uchiha was about to give him the Uchiha Inquisition. (It was about at thousand times more terrifying than the Spanish one).

"It seems that we have much to discuss." Itachi says softly.

He should know. Kakashi was a History Professor. He knew all about such things. The fact that Itachi was speaking to him in such a soft voice could only mean that he was screwed.

"Yes, it would seem so." He says with a resigned sigh.

Meanwhile Orochimaru was with Kabuto. The two of them were going through the other man's latest memories. The past life research was becoming in some ways, even more fascinating than the chakra research to Medical Professor.

"So tell me exactly what you remember." He says.

"The images are easier to make sense of now. It's as if a movie is playing but someone keeps freezing it, rewinding, and fast forwarding." The bespectacled Teaching Assistant explains.

Hmm. Interesting. So his memories were not necessarily coming back in chronological order. Perhaps it wasn't the timeline that mattered, but the intensity of the memory.

It was certainly one theory. At the moment, they were truly conducting groundbreaking work. To his knowledge, no one had ever done anything like this before. That meant that if they were successful, they were all going to be rich and famous.

"What do you see so far?" He demands.

"I was a ninja. I know that much. We've discussed this before. Primarily, I was a medic in my later life. In my early life, I believe I served as a spy." The Teaching Assistant says.

Orochimaru nods. Interesting. If Kabuto could organize his memories into a coherent order, he'd be a treasure trove of information!

The Ninja Era was considered something of a lost era. Accurate firsthand accounts were few. Most of the information that they had at their disposal tended to come from preserved scrolls or secondhand accounts.

"Did you enjoy your work?" Orochimaru inquires.

"I was good at being a spy, but I believe towards the end that it nearly drove me insane. I was rescued so to speak and brought to another village. It seems that my home village though that I knew too much. They were going to have me killed." He mutters bitterly.

That was understandable, of course. For one's home to turn against you, would be a traumatic experience. Apparently, traumatic enough to leave faint echoes in the next life.

Was this Kabuto's second life though? He could have lived others between the Ninja Era and this one. It was even possible that he had lived other lives before the Ninja Era. The possibilities were almost endless.

"I'm very sorry to hear that." Orochimaru says.

He was sorry to hear that, of course. Kabuto was a loyal assistant. He didn't particularly care for the thought of him being assassinated, but that was a secondary concern.

His greatest concern was reactivating chakra networks and figuring out the mystery of past lives. Everything else was at best an afterthought and at worst, could be ignored altogether. It was as simple as that.

"Thank you. I have seen flashes of Sasuke. Though not enough to know what our connection was back then." The other man continues.

That was one of the reasons why Orochimaru wanted Sasuke in this program so badly. His connection to Kabuto. He still didn't believe that it was a coincidence that the two men had known each other in at least two lives.

"Very well. Are you experiencing any unpleasant side effects that I should be made aware of?" He inquires.

"Nothing more than I have already reported. I truly believe that we are getting somewhere. I don't want to stop now." Kabuto assures him.

"Excellent. It would be rather unfortunate, if this experiment had to be ended prematurely. I would do it, if your health became an issue of concern though." The Professor promises him.

Orochimaru wasn't entirely certain that he would keep that promise, if it came down to it though. What was one life when weighed against all the good that could come of this research. Naturally, he hoped that it wouldn't come to that.

He could only hope that the silver haired man's health continued to hold up. That and his sanity. If Kabuto showed real signs of losing his mind or dying, well then he would have to weigh the pros and cons of continuing.

"Of course. I understand completely." The assistant assures him.

A few hours later, Sasuke was slowly waking up. One of the nurses heads over as she sees him regain consciousness. The poor boy.

"How are you feeling?" She asks.

"Like I got run over by a truck. What am I doing at a hospital?" Sasuke demands.

"You had a seizure and were suffering from hallucinations. Rather unpleasant ones, I'm afraid. We are looking over the results of your bloodwork. Your brother is still here, if you would like to see him." The young woman explains.

A seizure? He'd never had a seizure before. Sasuke was now more than a little terrified.

One minute, he had been so close to telling Kakashi how he felt. The next minute, he wakes up at a hospital. Damn it. Why now? Why did he have to get sick now out of all the times that he could have had a freaking seizure?!

"I'd like that." The raven haired man says.

Well there was no sense taking out his bad luck on the nurse. She was just doing her job. It wasn't the brunette's fault that he had choked in front of the love of his life.

Well whatever Kakashi was to him. Sasuke wasn't a completely hopeless lovesick puppy. It wasn't like he had never been with anyone else, but Kakashi had always been in a league of his own when it came to his heart.

"Alright. Wait, right here. I'll go and get him." She promises and with that, she heads off.

Sasuke sighs. He could only presume that Itachi was likely in the Waiting Room. Great. Now, Itachi was going to fuss over him and Kakashi probably thought that he was at death's door or something.

Other than feeling humiliated though, he felt fine. This was utterly bizarre. The youngest Uchiha had no idea what had just happened to him and that frightened him far more than he cared to admit at the moment.

"Sasuke?" Itachi calls out gently, a few minutes later as he walks inside the room.

"Yeah. I'm here. I'm still alive. Don't freak out. That's annoying. I'm fine. Well at least I think I'm fine. The nurse said something about bloodwork." Sasuke informs him.

He saw his brother nod and mentally braces himself. A nodding Itachi was never a good sign. It was the opposite of a good sign really.

It meant that Itachi was about to give him a lecture. A lecture that he felt was for his own good, but the older man wasn't entirely certain how to deliver it yet. The fact that the Uchiha was taking his time meant that this one was going to be a doozy.

"Yes, I'm aware that they are doing bloodwork. Sasuke, you were probably drugged. You realize that, right? Did you set your drink down even for a minute?" He asks.

"What? No. Of course not, I'm not stupid." Sasuke says.

"I know that you're not stupid. It's just sometimes people get a little forgetful when they're having fun at a nightclub." Itachi says with a sigh.

Great. Now, Itachi thought that he was an idiot. Could this day get any worse? Someone up there, clearly hated his guts. A lot.

"Well I didn't. Where's Kakashi?" Sasuke asks him and that's when Itachi frowns.

Uh oh. That wasn't good. Dear God, no. Just no. This couldn't be happening. Did Itachi really scold his former professor?!

"I had a discussion with him. He was the last one who was with you before you took a turn for the worse." Itachi says warily.

 _"I'm glad that you brought him here. If it wasn't for you, things could have ended up much worse than they did. They stabilized him, but I want to know what happened." Itachi told him._

 _"We were talking and dancing, but then he suddenly collapsed. I've never seen anything like it. Please, don't tell me that you are actually accusing me of harming him in some way. I would never harm one of my former students." He replied._

 _Itachi sighed and examined Kakashi thoughtfully. He believed him. There was a certain sincerity in his voice that was hard to deny. The man was telling the truth._

 _"You wouldn't drug one of your former students, but you would dance with them." The elder Uchiha observed in what he knew was likely an accusatory tone._

 _"There is absolutely nothing wrong with dancing." He retorted._

 _"Usually, you're right. You're a fair bit older than him though. I hope you aren't taking advantage of my brother's age. I know that you prefer men and he does as well." Itachi stated bluntly._

 _If this man was trying to seduce his baby brother, he had another thing coming. While he didn't think Kakashi was a bad person, the other man surely had to know that such an age gap didn't bode well for any relationship they might embark on. Sooner or later, that would be an issue._

 _How big of an issue, remained to be seen. Itachi would much rather not stick around wait for them to find out. It was best to nip this in the bud before either of them got hurt. It was as much for Kakashi's sake as Sasuke's really._

 _"I would never do such a thing. Itachi, I know that you're just trying to protect your younger brother and that's admirable…" The silver haired man began._

 _"I sense a BUT coming. Buts are never a good thing." The big brother observed._

 _"You're right. There is a but coming. A rather large one. Sasuke is a grown man. He's a graduate student. That means that legally and morally he's entitled to make whatever decisions that he wants within the law and as long as no one else gets hurt. You can't control who he sees romantically." The professor chided him gently._

 _Itachi hated to admit it, but the other man was correct about that. As much as he wanted to protect Sasuke, he knew that the younger Uchiha was a grown man. He couldn't stop him from entering whatever relationship(s) that he wished._

 _Of course, he could speak to him about it. Itachi could counsel him on how utterly naïve entering a relationship with a man this much older than him was. In the end though, it was up to his baby brother._

 _"That's true. That doesn't mean that I don't have my concerns for him." He muttered._

 _His foolish little brother. His wonderfully innocent baby brother. A baby brother who had only moderate experience in anything romantic because he had such high standards that Sasuke had only had a handful of boyfriends before._

 _Kakashi likely had his fair share of lovers. It was almost unavoidable at his age. While he doubted that the silver haired man was particularly promiscuous, the professor still had far more experience than Sasuke._

 _"That's only natural. Sasuke is fortunate to have a brother like you. A brother who looks after him. At a certain point though, you have to let the bird leave the nest. I'm not saying that he's flying off with me. I doubt that he has any interest in me in that respect, but you have to allow him to make his own choices. Whether or not you agree with them is irrelevant at this point." Kakashi informed him._

 _That wasn't his fault. Kakashi was just significantly older. Itachi would have been more concerned, if the other man had less experience than Sasuke. Still that didn't change the reality of the situation._

 _"Yes, he is lucky to have a brother like me. I hope you realize that I am a doctor. I know A LOT about the human body. I particularly know about its vulnerabilities. If you hurt my brother, I will hurt you. I hope that you understand that. You can't say that I didn't give you fair warning." Itachi told him tersely._

 _"That's good to know. Well yes, that's sporting of you. You aren't going to tell Sasuke about this conversation, are you? That would likely just embarrass him. Besides, I doubt he has any interest in me, anyway. This conversation is all likely for naught. I do apologize for potentially ruining whatever soap opera is undoubtedly going on in that brilliant mind of yours though." The College Professor informed him with a twinkle in his eye._

 _Itachi sighed. He hoped that Kakashi was right. He didn't even want to begin to imagine what would happen, if he wasn't._

 _"I won't tell, Sasuke about this. Not unless you give me just cause to be concerned. So don't give me a reason to worry about your intentions towards my brother." He stated stiffly._

 _"I won't give you a reason. Of that much, you can be assured." Kakashi promised him._

"He's in the Waiting Room. I'm your family. So the nurse thought it best that I should see you first." He says.

Sasuke nods. That made sense. He couldn't believe that Kakashi had likely spent hours in the Waiting Room with his brother.

Hours with his likely extremely worried brother. Sasuke could scarcely begin to imagine the horrors that Itachi Uchiha had likely put that poor man though. He felt as though he should apologize, really.

"Is he okay? I must have scared the Hell out of him, when I went down like that." He muttered.

"Kakashi is worried about you. We all were. Your friends went back to Jugo's dorm a little while ago. Don't do this again, Sasuke. Please, don't make me think that I'm going to lose you. I'll tell Kakashi he can come in. I need to call our parents and tell them that you're okay, anyway." The elder Uchiha says.

"Yeah. That'd be great. Thank you." Sasuke whispers.

Itachi nods and then heads off. Not long after, Sasuke smiles when he sees a familiar head of silver hair walk through the door. That was as relief.

"I'm really sorry about that. When I asked you to dance with me, I didn't intend to faint on you." He says with a nervous smile.

"Sasuke, you don't have to apologize for getting sick. Did Itachi tell you what happened?" He asks.

"He gave me the basics. Itachi seemed to think that someone spiked my drink. I wouldn't allow that to happen." Sasuke assures him.

He sees Kakashi grimace. That wasn't a good sign. Sasuke couldn't remember ever seeing that expression on the handsome man's face. It just looked so horribly out of place.

Kakashi was a cheerful person by nature. A frown should never be on his face, especially not one like that. This was worse than Itachi. He expected such behavior from his overprotective brother, but not from his former professor.

"If someone didn't spike your drink, what do you think happened? You're a healthy, young man. People your age don't normally collapse like that for no reason." He murmurs.

Sasuke nods in understanding. As much as he hated to admit it, Kakashi was certainly right about that. This was extremely unsettling.

Sasuke doubted that he had collapsed of natural causes. That meant that something strange was going on. When something strange was going on, his first instinct was logically to blame Orochimaru.

"Yeah. I know." The raven haired man confesses.

"Do you have any idea what might have happened?" The object of his affections asks softly.

"I have theories, but I don't have any proof. I really don't want to fly off the handle without any." Sasuke confesses.

He couldn't just accuse Orochimaru of doing something to him without proof. The man was a well-respected professor. Even with his family's name and his academic background, it would be Sasuke's word against Orochimaru's. At best, that would be a stalemate.

"Well I would love to hear all about your theories. You may no longer be my student, but that doesn't change the fact that I do care about you." The silver haired man informs him.

Sasuke smiles. He doubted that Kakashi meant that the way it sounded. Still it was good to hear it.

It was far from a confession of undying love, but he could work with that. It was something. At least he meant SOMETHING to the other man. That was a start, right?

"Well you won't like my theories. I think that Orochimaru might have done something, but I don't know what. That and I don't have any proof." The college student says.

"Well then the answer is simple. We'll just simply have to get proof." Kakashi says.

Sasuke smiles. He liked the sound of that. We'll just have to simply get proof. That meant that they were a team and that was a very good start towards becoming something more than friends.


	5. Chapter 5

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 4

"I could fluff your pillows for you, if you like." Kakashi offers a few minutes later.

The two of them had just agreed to take down Orochimaru together. Though apparently, his former professor needed to do something to fill the silence that followed. They had both been briefly lost in their thoughts and the quiet room had quickly become awkward not long after.

"That'd be nice." Sasuke says with a smile.

If Kakashi wanted to play doctor, let him. On second thought, that was a very appealing option. He'd make one Hell of a sexy doctor and for once, Sasuke wouldn't mind being a patient.

In reality, Sasuke was likely going to be the real doctor. Kakashi was a professor. Though that career choice also presented a lot of tantalizing options. For instance, they could make good use of Kakashi's desk.

"Alright. Well do put in a good word for me with Itachi. Your brother isn't very happy with me to put it mildly." The other man says as he leans over to adjust Sasuke's pillows.

That looked like a sturdy desk. It could be the perfect place to enact a few naughty student and teacher fantasies. They'd have to lock the room of course. Hmm. Was that place soundproof? Sasuke should probably ask.

It wouldn't be good if someone overheard them. While the University couldn't fire Kakashi for being with him, they could fire the man for having sex in his classroom. Hmm. On second thought, maybe those fantasies would be better served to be enacted at Kakashi's place.

"I'm really sorry about that. I hope that he wasn't too rough on you. I didn't put him up to any of that. I swear." Sasuke says quickly.

Who was he kidding? The odds of any of those fantasies actually happening were slim to none to put it mildly and that was before his brother started threatening his would be lover. Damn it.

"Oh it's fine. Your brother can be quite intimidating when he wants to be, but I'm not one to back down from a challenge. Besides, Itachi only does it because he cares about you. You're fortunate to have someone that worries about your happiness to that extent. We should all be so lucky." The silver haired man replies.

"Yeah. I guess so. It's still really annoying sometimes." Sasuke says with a sigh.

"Well he wouldn't be much of a big brother, if he didn't annoy you. From what I'm told, that's the natural order of things. I wouldn't really know myself. I'm an only child." The History Professor says.

Sasuke nods in understanding. He loved Itachi. He really did. It was just sometimes he felt like he couldn't quite measure up to the other man and Itachi really needed to but out when it came to his love life.

"Yeah. I get it. Thanks for staying. You didn't have to. You could have just left after you got me to the hospital. No one would have blamed you." The Uchiha says.

"I wanted to stay, Sasuke. I couldn't very well leave you here until I knew for certain that you were alright. Besides, we still have to prove that Orochimaru did this to you. I never liked that man. There is something not quite right with him." Kakashi says.

Sasuke couldn't disagree with that. There really was something off about Orochimaru. He had noticed it the first day he met the other man, but that wasn't his top priority at the moment.

He needed to prove that the Professor did something to him and figure out what those images meant. Why had he see those bodies? Why had his parents been dead?

"Whatever you saw, it was just a hallucination. Don't let it bother you." The silver haired man says.

"I know that in my head, but my heart won't believe it. It all felt so real." Sasuke whispers.

How could he ever explain what he had seen? All that blood? The horror that he had felt? Kakashi would likely think he was crazy, if Sasuke ever told him everything.

"What did you see?" The History Professor asks him softly.

"Death. I saw death. Lots of it." The younger man whispers.

He'd never be able to get those images out of his head. Sasuke knew that much. He could live to be a hundred and he'd still see them in his mind's eye, clear as day and stronger than any other nightmare that he had had before.

"Just think of it as a bad dream and don't worry about it. We'll figure out what he did to you and make him pay for it. I promise." Kakashi says as he wraps his arms around Sasuke protectively.

This was nice. Sasuke liked being held by Kakashi. There was something very soothing about it. Probably the powerful arms wrapped around him so protectively and the masculine scent of whatever cologne the other man was wearing.

"I like you're cologne." Sasuke says with a contented sigh as he inhales the pleasant scent.

"Thank you, but I'm not wearing any cologne." Kakashi says.

"Oh. Then I guess you just naturally smell good." The raven haired man observes as he feels his cheeks burn with embarrassment.

Meanwhile Orochimaru sighs as he looks over the data Kabuto had given him. He was getting closer, he just knew it. What he needed now was more test subjects.

He'd likely reached some sort of impasse with his research assistant. Perhaps the memories were simply buried too deeply to ever reach or they were too traumatic for his psyche to confront. Whatever the reason, the Professor knew the truth.

"We need more subjects." Kabuto says as if reading his mind.

"Yes, we do. The information that you have provided has been invaluable, of course. It's just no great scientific success like this has only been made with one or two test subjects." He reasons.

The last thing that he wanted to do was to insult Kabuto. The man was taking a great risk by offering to be the first willing subject. This could be a potentially dangerous experiment, but the silver haired man didn't seem to mind that in the slightest.

Orochimaru supposed that ambition was a powerful thing. The research assistant wanted to be a tenured professor more than anything. He wanted it so badly that he was even willing to potentially jeopardize his health.

"I suppose we can advertise for potential subjects. I wonder how Sasuke is doing. We've been slipping him dosages for awhile." Kabuto muses.

"I guess the dosages are too small to be having much of an impact. He must be filtering it out of his system before anything can happen. That or it has yet to reach a critical mass. I'm not really sure which is the case." Dr. Sannin says.

He wasn't sure whether to admire Kabuto's drive and dedication or be concerned for the younger man. If he was a better person, it would be the latter. Orochimaru wasn't though.

Scientific discovery was far more valuable than the health of any one individual. It didn't matter much that said individual was his friend and someone he respected. He would do whatever was necessary to reactivate chakra networks and to peer into past lives.

"I suppose in that case, we can continue the dosage. If he's merely filtering it out, then it's not harming him. If it's critical mass that's the problem, eventually…we'll reach it." The bespectacled man reasons.

"That's certainly true." Orochimaru agrees.

There was so much good that would come of active chakra networks. The medical advances alone would boggle the mind of even the most experienced doctor. Not to mention the possible implications of rediscovering past lives. There was so much historical knowledge that could be gleamed from such a thing!

"I'll go and put up the bulletin. We can say that whoever does it will get extra credit in your classes or be paid. Whichever they prefer. Knowing your students, they'll all probably jump at the chance to get extra credit." Kabuto says with a sly smile.

Orochimaru chuckles in amusement. That was most certainly true. He was known far and wide for his rather rigorous classes.

It didn't matter how academically gifted someone was. If they knew that Dr. Sannin was teaching one of their classes, that person would tremble with fear. Really though, he was doing them all a favor.

"That's accurate. I imagine we can get at least a few dozen from my classes alone." He agrees with a smirk.

He was weeding out those that weren't fit to be doctors and in the medical field in general. If they couldn't handle his class, well they'd never be able to make it out in the real world. Orochimaru thought that he was doing a public service really.

"Probably hundreds." Kabuto comments with a laugh.

"That's certainly not outside the realm of possibility. Now, let's get the word out." The College Professor says.

The silver haired man nods in agreement as he heads off. Kabuto had never been so happy in his entire life. They were truly pioneering groundbreaking research. Research that would change the course of human history.

How many people could make such a claim, especially before they were even thirty? Not many. Kabuto was beyond honored to be part of this project.

"Now, all we have to do is get more subjects." He says as he heads off to his office to put up the ads online and print off some flyers.

This was going to be perfect. He could only hope that Sasuke would reach critical mass though. If he did, that was bound to be eliminating to say the least.

He couldn't help but wonder how they had known each other in their past life (or was it lives)? The possibilities were almost endless and all of them seemed so fascinating.

"Hopefully, he wasn't one of the ones who tried to kill me. That would certainly put a strain on our relationship." He mutters to himself as he begins designing the flyers.

They had to be something special. Something that would catch the eye of college students as they walked by. Fortunately, Kabuto had always possessed a dramatic flare. He was certain that he could make what was needed for this particular situation.

"Well let's get started." He says with a smirk.

A few days later and Sasuke was back in his dorm. The hospital didn't want to let him go, after they discovered a foreign substance in his body. Eventually, they were forced to conclude that it had filtered out of his system though and let him go.

"Really, the strangest stuff happens to you!" Naruto exclaims.

"Yeah. I know. Tell me about it. Anyway, my gut feeling is that Orochimaru did something. I just don't know what or have any proof." The college student says with a sigh.

"You're going to want proof, if you're going to accuse a distinguished doctor like that of poisoning you." Karin says.

Sasuke nods. He knew that. He wasn't an idiot. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. Well at least he had Kakashi. Kakashi would help him.

"Yeah. I know. I'm working on it." The raven haired boy says with a sigh.

"Don't worry about it. The hospital cleared you, right?" Jugo inquires.

Sasuke nods. That was true. The hospital definitely hadn't wanted to though. At a certain point, they had no choice though.

His life didn't seem to be in immediate danger and patients had the right to refuse treatment. So after being poked and prodded God only knows how many times, he had simply refused and went back to school.

"They cleared me, but they still don't know what that stuff was." Sasuke says.

"Orochimaru is really, really freaky." Naruto says as if it was some sage pronouncement and not something that they already knew.

"You said it." Sasuke agrees.

Elsewhere Kakashi was walking around campus, when he notices a few rather colorful flyers all over place. Normally, he wouldn't look twice at such things. It was probably some Sorority, Fraternity, Club, or Sports Team advertising tryouts or some event. Nothing that would interest a grown man like him, but this one caught his eye for some reason or another.

Perhaps, it was because of how colorful the flyer was and the way the metallic accents shimmered under the light. Yes, that must be it. Curious, he reads it.

 **Wanted: Test Subjects for a Groundbreaking Clinical Trial.**

 **Duration: At the discretion of the subjects. One day or years. It's entirely up to you. Though we would prefer to have as many long-term subjects as possible.**

 **Research Being Done: We are studying the chakra networks and hope to be able make them fully functional again.**

 **What You Will Be Doing: Consuming the medication to revive your chakra networks and reporting on the effects of said medications.**

 **Compensation: Up to three letter grades extra credit in Dr. Sannin's Classes and/or two thousand dollars a month compensation.**

 **Requirements: You must be at least 18 year olds or have your parents'/guardians' permission to participate. You must also be in reasonably good physical and mental health before participating. A physical is mandatory before you can begin this program. Other than that, this opportunity is open to all.**

 **Contact Information: If interested call 555-5555 any time between the hours of 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Visit this website or stop by Dr. Sannin's Office.**

 **Thank you, for your consideration. We look forward to working with you, assuming you meet the requirements.**

"Oh Dear God. It's worse than I thought. He's actually recruiting people for his sick little experiments." Kakashi says with a sigh.

Well that would be one way to catch the creep. This would increase his access to Orochimaru. That would only increase his chances of catching him in the act.

"Still I don't know if I like the sound of this. It has the plot to a bad horror movie to it." He says with a sigh.

He'd have to talk to Sasuke about this. It really was that simple. He simply couldn't not speak to the other man about it.

Sasuke had winded up in the hospital because of Orochimaru. It was only right that he would get a chance to weigh in on whether or not, Kakashi should involve himself in the doctor's sick little experiments. The Uchiha would probably view anything less as a betrayal and Kakashi certainly didn't want his former student to feel betrayed by him.

"Better find him." Kakashi mutters as heads off towards Sasuke's Dorm.

Luckily, he knew which one it was. That made things much easier. He certainly didn't feel like looking through hundreds of dorms to find the Uchiha.

A few minutes later, he knocks on the door. He was surprised when Naruto answered it. Though he probably shouldn't have been. Naruto was one of Sasuke's friends. It was only natural that he'd want to be close to Sasuke, after the other man had just gotten out of the hospital.

"Is Sasuke here? I need to speak with him about something very important." He states bluntly.

There really was no time for subtly. He suspected that the offer of easy cash and an easy A would lure many college students straight into Orochimaru's clutches. That meant that he had to sign up and quickly.

"Oh right. Um SASUKE! Kakashi is here to see you! " The blonde bellows out.

"Alright. Thanks, loser." Sasuke says as he darts over to the door.

He was wearing a university sweater and some jeans. That really shouldn't have been a "sexy" outfit to Kakashi, but it was. Then again, who could blame him? Sasuke Uchiha probably would have made a potato sack look alluring somehow.

"Sasuke, I'm sorry to disturb you. It's just that this is very important. Is there somewhere we can talk alone?" He asks.

That's when Kakashi notices Jugo give Sasuke a subtle thumbs up. The other man probably didn't realize that he had seen it, but he had. Hmm. Well that was certainly interesting.

The silver haired man makes a mental note to look into that more later. Now, wasn't the time though. He needed to get the college student's permission to do something extremely reckless and foolish.

"Yeah. I guess we can head to the library. That should be pretty quiet and if you find the right spot, it's private." Sasuke suggests.

"Alright. That does sound like a fine idea. I truly am sorry for interrupting your fun with your friends." The History Professor apologizes.

"Don't be. I can hang out with them anytime. Besides, I'm sure they can manage to entertain themselves for a bit without me." Sasuke replies with a smirk.

That damn smirk. It must have been in the genes. All Uchihas seemed to possess a sexy smirk. A smirk that on Sasuke, made Kakashi's mind go places that it definitely shouldn't go.

"Glad to hear it." Kakashi says as he walks off with the raven haired med student.

Sasuke might no longer be his student, but it would still be inappropriate. Legal, but inappropriate. There was a reason why Itachi had reservations about the mere idea of them being together. Well actually there was more than one reason, really.

"Mhm." The younger man says as he goes to the library with Kakashi.

Valid reasons. The age gap between them meant that they had lived completely different life experiences. He was far more experienced romantically than Sasuke. He was more worldly.

Kakashi had a career. He knew what he wanted out of life. Sasuke was just finding himself. It was like seducing a baby bird the second that it was jumping out of the nest.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Sasuke asks a few minutes later, once they had found a secluded corner of the library to speak in.

"I saw this flyer up. Take a look at it." The silver haired teacher says as he hands one to Sasuke that he had grabbed off the wall.

The Uchiha nods and reads it. As he was reading it, his nose scrunches up rather adorably in concentration. There were very few things about Sasuke that weren't either adorable or sexy to him.

He was really developing an unhealthy fetish. Kakashi knew that. He should try to ignore it and he had done so for years, but it was impossible. How could he resist the nose scrunch or those furrowed brows.

"This isn't good." He whispers.

"No. It isn't. I shudder to think what will happen to those innocent kids that are just trying to get an easy A or some quick cash. Those offers are very appealing. Hell, some of the faculty might be willing to become guinea pigs for an extra two thousand dollars a month. It's an appealing offer." He says.

He sees Sasuke nod in agreement. That was only to be expected really. He wasn't just another pretty face. Sasuke was also highly intelligent and was just as capable of reading between the lines as Kakashi was. He knew what this meant.

"What are we going to do about this?" The med student whispers in a horrified voice.

"I was thinking that I'd sign up." Kakashi replies cheerfully.

"Sign up to be his guinea pig?! Are you crazy?! Kakashi, that's very dangerous! It's one thing for me to be his lab assistant, but it's another to actually let yourself be shot up full of God knows what!" Sasuke thunders at him.

Oh boy. This wasn't going well. Maybe, he should have tried to soften the blow a little bit. Oh well. It was too late now. There was no going back.

"It would give me greater access to him. This way I can also check on the other test subjects. I can try to help them, if need be. I won't do this without your permission though. You're the on one who ended up in the hospital because of him. Oh and Sasuke, please do contain your rage at least somewhat. If you get much louder, people are going to come and see what's wrong and we can't exactly tell them the truth. Now can we?" The silver haired teacher inquires slyly.

Sasuke twitches and Kakashi couldn't blame him for doing so. He was fighting dirty and they both knew it. Neither of them could possibly tell anyone else what was going on.

Though Kakashi suspected that the younger man might have already told his friends about what happened. Well about his suspicions. That was fine. He trusted Naruto and Taka.

"You're right, but just to let you know.. I told them. I told my friends." Sasuke says, confirming what the History Professor had already known to be the case.

"That's alright. I thought as much. No one else though. I do hope that you did at least have the common sense not to tell your brother about all this. Itachi would storm the castle and attempt to slay the dragon for you." The other man observes with a chuckle.

Sasuke to his credit, looked suitably horrified at that possibility. Kakashi couldn't blame him. Itachi Uchiha was certainly not a man to be trifled with, especially when it came to his family.

"No. I didn't tell Itachi. My brother is well my brother. He'd probably already be in jail for trying to have a go at Orochimaru." Sasuke says.

"That's most certainly true." His former professors concedes.

Sasuke nods and sighs as he glances at Kakashi. The other man was trying to help him and Sasuke knew that. He appreciated it, but that didn't mean that wasn't scared for him.

Fear was not an emotion that he experienced often, but Kakashi was the exception to every rule that he thought he had for himself. Uchihas didn't get frightened. They logically assessed the situation and responded accordingly. That wasn't the case for Kakashi though.

"Alright. Well go ahead and sign up." Sasuke says defeatedly.

Logic went out the window when it came to him. It always had. Sasuke wasn't exactly sure why or how he had fallen in love with him, but he had and in a big way.

It was tragic really. Sasuke wasn't an idiot. Fate had likely decided to save him from humiliation on that night he had almost confessed to Kakashi. It was a small mercy, he supposed.

"I will and don't worry, Sasuke. I know that it doesn't seem like it now, but this will all work out. Somehow." Kakashi promises him.

The youngest Uchiha wanted to believe that. He truly did, but he wasn't sure that he could. Either way though, Sasuke nods his head and smiles at Kakashi. There was no need to let the other man know what he was really thinking.

He was madly in love with someone he'd likely never have. That and Sasuke was truly frightened for Kakashi. He was walking into the Serpent's Den and there was absolutely nothing he could do about that fact.


	6. Chapter 6

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Kakashi makes a naughty joke and Sasuke's got a rather colorful vocabulary. These additions to the chapter were intended to be taken in a comical fashion and to show that Sasuke was sincerely worried about Kakashi's safety. So hopefully, everyone enjoys them.

Chapter 6

A few days later and Sasuke was doing his best not to glare at Orochimaru and even Kakashi. It was a difficult task though. The two men had given him plenty of reasons to glare at them.

The Medical Professor had probably tried to poison him and Kakashi was being reckless. God only knows, what Orochimaru had actually done to him and now, the History Professor was walking straight into a trap. Didn't Kakashi realize how dangerous it was to become Dr. Sannin's guinea pig?!

"Ah. It's good to see you, Kakashi. I must admit that I was surprised when I heard that you were agreeing to become a test subject for this program." He coos at him.

Sasuke clenches his fist upon hearing that to mask his fury. How DARE Orochimaru speak to Kakashi in that tone of voice. Like Kakashi was his child or something?! In hindsight, that hadn't been his brightest move though.

The Uchiha could feel his fingernails digging into the skin of his hands. Sasuke sighs as he realizes that he was likely bleeding from the action. Still he supposed that it was better than letting Orochimaru know just how much he would like to throw some of the ingredients in his little lab straight at the other man's face, particularly anything acidic.

"Well what can I say? I'm a History Professor. I've read about the Ninja Era all my life. It was a truly fascinating time and the chance to help reactivate chakra networks appeals to me. That and well, who in their right mind is going to pass up an extra two thousand dollars a month?" He asks cheerfully.

Sasuke knew that it was wrong to fantasize about hurling acid in Orochimaru's face, but he felt like the man deserved it. He had felt that way even before the Medical Professor had poisoned him. The Uchiha wasn't sure why that was the case, he just knew in his bones that Dr. Sannin was someone who needed to be put in his place. Badly.

"That's true enough. Well it will be good to have an older test subject. Most of the people who signed up are in their twenties or even younger. It should be fascinating to observe the effects on a man of your years." The ashen skinned man says.

Kakashi's years?! Orochimaru was kidding right? The ashen skinned man had decades on him!

That's right. Ashen skin. To Sasuke, that's what Orochimaru's skin looked like. Ashes that had somehow been used to make human skin. It just didn't look healthy. Though were a few female coeds that thought it was exotic and somehow hot. (In his opinion, those girls really needed to get their eyes checked)!

"He's not that much older." Sasuke hisses at Orochimaru.

He wasn't going to be able to contain his fury. Sasuke knew that he was close to losing it and apparently, Kakashi knew it too. The silver haired man shoots him a reassuring look.

"Well not in general, but it's a big enough age gap to be significant. Wouldn't you agree, Sasuke?" Orochimaru asks with a smirk.

The Uchiha's blood was now boiling with rage. He hated that smirk. That smirk made him want to bash the other man's teeth in.

Damn. He really should go to Anger Management. These violent impulses couldn't be healthy. It didn't matter that the target of his ire was Orochimaru. A man who deserved it. If this kept up, Sasuke was going to do something that he would regret.

"No. I wouldn't agree." The raven haired man mutters as he rolls his eyes.

"That's kind of you to say, Sasuke. Though I'm well aware of how many candles are on my birthday cake. As much as it pains me to admit it, there is a difference between a test subject in their twenties and one in their thirties." Kakashi tells him in that damnably calm voice of his.

Didn't the History Professor realize what Orochimaru was REALLY saying? What he was really saying was that the other man was far too old for Sasuke. That didn't even require someone to read between the lines to figure out. Dr. Sannin was practically openly stating as much.

"Kakashi is such a _practical_ person. He knows there's no use in denying the truth. That's one of the things that I've always liked best about him, really." Orochimaru continues.

Sasuke rolls his eyes again. He was pretty sure that he was going to get eyestrain soon at this point. Again, Dr. Sannin was essentially stating that there was no reason to even like Kakashi. He was far too practical to fall for a former student.

While that was true, the Uchiha didn't particularly care for Orochimaru rubbing his face in it. Sasuke wasn't stupid. He knew what sort of odds he was facing.

"Speaking of practical, how would you like to take it?" Kabuto asks.

"I'm more of a giver than a receiver, personally." The silver haired man retorts with a sly chuckle.

 _"I'm more of a giver than a receiver."_ Well there went any further coherent thoughts on Sasuke's mind. He knew that it was likely that Kakashi was just taunting Kabuto and Orochimaru. The other man probably just wanted some payback for the age cracks, but his hormones obviously didn't care.

His hormones were quite interested to find out, if Kakashi meant that. He probably did. Sasuke had a hard time imagining Kakashi doing anything other than being the more aggressive lover.

"Good to know. Though I think you know that you're a testing subject. In this case, you're only taking the dosages. You aren't administering them. So would you prefer to take it orally or by an injection?" The teaching assistant inquires.

 _Whoa._ Bastard. He did not need to hear the word orally while he was in the middle of trying to tame his libido. Thank you, very much.

"Orally would likely be better. I'd rather not have to take shots, unless it's absolutely necessary." Kakashi replies.

Yeah. He needed help. Between the violent impulses that he had towards Orochimaru and his fantasies about the sexy History Professor, he was so screwed and not in a good way.

"Of course. Most people do initially choose to take the medication orally at first. That's until they find out how awful it tastes. Unfortunately, my attempts to make it taste more pleasant have thus far been unsuccessful." Orochimaru says with a sigh.

"That's fine. I'm a big boy. I think I can handle taking my medicine." Kakashi says as he reaches out his hand to grab it.

"Excellent. Good luck, Kakashi. So far we haven't hadn't any experience serious side effects, but one never knows." Kabuto warns him.

Meanwhile Jugo was trying to do damage control. Naruto, Karin, and Sugietsu were asking some rather uncomfortable questions. He had been doing his best to avoid them, but he wasn't sure how long he would be able to.

"That's weird. How did Kakashi know which room was Sasuke's?" The blonde asks.

"Yeah. That is pretty weird. I mean there are hundreds of student dorms. He can't possibly have them all memorized." Karin adds.

They were at one of the school gyms. The gym was quite nice. It had recently been remodeled and the floors practically sparkled with their newness. Not to mention all the equipment was new, even the basketball that they were now using.

"It's Kakashi. I mean the guy's cool. Who knows how he knows? Doesn't really matter, does it? It's not like he's Orochimaru and stalking Sassy." Suigetsu says as he takes the shot.

Karin was the ref. He was currently playing a rather informal game of basketball with Suigetsu. Not that the white haired man had a chance of beating him, but the giant gentle did appreciate his determination to do so. Sadly for Suigetsu, while he could swim like a fish…Jugo could always beat him at basketball.

"You know that Sasuke hates it, when you call him that." Jugo says as he steals the ball.

"Well yeah! Duh! That's why I do it. It's funny to see him get all huffy! Hey! That's mine!" The violet eyed college student grumbles.

Jugo chuckles. Suigetsu was highly competitive. He had always been that way. It was just who he was.

That didn't meant that the orange haired college student was going to let him win though. Oh no. In his own way, he could be just as competitive as his more boisterous friend.

"Your funeral. Sasuke knows how to punch and you know that. Anyway, it's my ball now." Jugo says as he throw the ball towards the basket.

"Yeah. I know that Sassy can kick some ass. That doesn't meant that he'd seriously have a go at me. Most he'll do is glare at me and use that freaky homicidal voice of his. You know the one." Suigetsu says as he watches to see, if the ball would go into the basket.

"You're still an idiot. Sasuke could totally kick your butt. You're just lucky that he's too nice to do it." Karin says.

That earns several rounds of protest from the water loving college student. Damn. Those two still bickered like cats and dogs. Jugo really wished that they'd just get together already.

It would make life so much easier for everyone. Actually, he and Sasuke had a bet to over when they'd get together first. Sasuke gave it another three months. Jugo gave it six.

"Do you see how she treats me, Jugo?" Suigetsu whines.

"Yes, she treats you like the two of you are an old married couple. That basket is my 5th. We were playing till five. So I win." He says with a smile.

"What?! Oh that's so not fair. You only win because you're like two feet taller than everyone else. You don't even have to jump or anything." Suigetsu says with a sigh.

Jugo could only chuckle in response. He loved his friends deeply, but he couldn't lie. He was worried about Sasuke.

He used to be worried about the other man because he was a victim of unrequited love. Now, he was worried about him because Sasuke had been poisoned. Whether it was intentionally or not, he wasn't sure. That didn't mean that Jugo was going to let his guard down though.

"Whatever. You always lose to him. I don't know why you bother. You can out swim anyone, but there's no way that you're ever going to beat him at basketball." The red head says.

"Hey! Who asked you?!" Suigetsu grumbles in response.

It was just another day for Taka. Well for everyone in Taka, except for Sasuke. Sasuke was currently working on that experiment with Orochimaru. An experiment which Jugo didn't completely understand, but he knew one thing. He really didn't like having his friend work with that creepy Professor.

Back at the lab, Kakashi takes the "medicine." Privately, he thought that term was stretching it. This wasn't actually medicine.

It wasn't as if he was sick. No, this was something in theory that was going to reopen his chakra network. He wasn't entirely certain that he believed such a thing was possible, but Kakashi supposed that they would find out.

"You're right. That does taste rather disgusting." He mutters a few moments later.

Perhaps, he had been a little more cocky than was strictly necessary earlier. He certainly didn't need to make a suggestive naughty joke for Kabuto's benefit, but the age jokes had irritated.

They were especially vexing because Orochimaru was older than him and Sasuke was standing in the same room. He knew that his feelings for Sasuke wasn't appropriate. That never had been, but that was no reason for Orochimaru to talk him down in front of the sexy college student.

"You feeling alright?" Sasuke asks in concern.

The college student who was so concerned for his safety. It was sweet, really. Whether or not, Sasuke actually had romantic feelings for him didn't matter to a certain extent. It was obvious that the Uchiha did care about him in some way.

It might merely be because he was Sasuke's favorite teacher. That or just because Sasuke was a good person in general. Yes, he could be a cocky bastard sometimes. A diamond in the ruff, truthfully. That didn't mean that he didn't have a good heart though. Deep down.

"Yeah. I'm fine. It just tastes awful. Really, Sasuke. Don't try that stuff." the silver haired man warns him.

He couldn't imagine Sasuke consuming anything as vile as what he had just taken. It was ghastly. Kakashi didn't have the words to describe how utterly disgusting it was.

"I can get you some water, if you like." Sasuke offers.

"That'd be good. Thank you." Kakashi says.

As he was saying, Sasuke had a good heart. He just tried to hide it. That was nice to know that in addition to the fine ass of his, he was more than just a pretty face.

Of course, Kakashi knew that Sasuke would kill him for calling the Uchiha pretty. That didn't make it any less true. Well then again, pretty was such a mild adjective. That was one fortunate looking family.

"Mhm." Sasuke says as he hands Kakashi a water bottle.

"Now, I am warning you that there are some side effects. Dizziness and feeling nauseous are some of them." Kabuto says.

Of course, there were side effects. He already felt like he was going to vomit. That concoction was absolutely foul.

Thank goodness that he had Sasuke to focus on. Those obsidian eyes would do it every time. That and for some reason, he rather liked the white lab coat on him.

"Good to know." He mutters.

If only Orochimaru and Kabuto weren't there, maybe he could talk Sasuke into letting him take that coat off of him. That's when he mentally slaps himself for such thoughts. He was here to prove that Orochimaru had poisoned Sasuke. Not to seduce him.

Of course, that didn't mean that he wasn't going to thoroughly admire the glorious view that was presented to him. Kakashi was only human. He was going to look. All he had to do was make sure that he didn't get caught doing so.

"Do you feel any different? That was a rather large dose." Dr. Sannin inquires.

That viper. Orochimaru had deliberately given him a large dose to start off with. Was that bastard trying to kill him?

It was a possibility. The Medical Professor clearly also wanted Sasuke's _attention_. While Kakashi doubted that he was likely to ever get it, he knew that was far more likely to be the beneficiary of said attention than Orochimaru!

"I feel fine." He says and that's when his vision started to blur and the room seemed to be spinning.

Orochimaru obviously knew that. That was why he had made that age crack. That freak had always been after Sasuke, even when he was a Genin. Wait. A Genin?

 _"I'm going to Seal away the curse mark. This isn't going to be pleasant and you need to understand something. It isn't necessarily permanent. If you doubt yourself even for a moment and want to call on the power he gave you, it will break. Do you understand me?" Kakashi demanded._

 _There was a boy sitting in front of him. He had his legs crossed and he was shirtless. There was an elaborate display of markings on his back. Sealing Markings._

 _He couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen. Though he was much younger than his Sasuke, Kakashi knew that this was indeed Sasuke. A younger Sasuke, but still Sasuke._

 _"I understand." The foreign version of Sasuke said._

 _Kakashi nodded and proceeded to continue the Sealing Process. He was torn between concern for his student and rage. Orochimaru had actually sunk his teeth into Sasuke and bit him._

 _That action had formed a curse mark. The Mark would give him power, but at a price. It would tie him to Orochimaru._

 _"Alright. Let's begin." He said as he slammed his hand down on the markings, causing Sasuke to cry out in agony._

 _He winced at the sound. It wasn't Sasuke's fault. Orochimaru knew how to manipulate the teenager. He was offering him a chance to avenge his family and that was a very seductive motive._

 _Kakashi would have to watch him closely. He couldn't let Sasuke fall into Orochimaru's hands. God only knows what that deviant would do to him. The possibilities of what Orochimaru could do with the Sharingan and to Sasuke were limitless._

 _"Get some rest." He whispered as Sasuke panted and obviously tried to fight through the pain._

 _"Alri-ght." Sasuke panted out and in that moment, Kakashi had never wanted to kill Orochimaru more._

 _What kind of man would take advantage of a boy's pain like this? The pain caused by Sasuke losing his family at such a young age and by his brother's own hand? A sick one who needed his throat slit, apparently._

"KAKASHI!" He hears a panicked voice scream out his name.

At some point, he must have fallen over. The silver haired man didn't remember when this had happened and he couldn't for the life of him. Still he recognized that voice.

Sasuke. It was Sasuke. Only this time, he wasn't some kid. He was once again, Kakashi's Sasuke and a fully grown man.

"Easy, Sasuke. Easy. His pulse is normal. I think that he just got overwhelmed by the visions of his past life. The first time is the hardest and he received a higher dose than we've ever given anyone." The teaching assistant says in a way that Kakashi was sure was supposed to be comforting.

SMACK! Though Sasuke seemed less than consoled, judging by the fact that he had just smacked Kabuto in the face. He'd smacked him hard enough that an angry looking bruise was already forming.

"You, asshole! You both could have killed him! I hope that he charges you. I hope that he takes you to court and I hope you get prison time! You could have killed him!" Sasuke seethes at the other man.

"Sasuke, calm down! There's no need to get so upset. Kakashi understood the risks when he entered this program!" Orochimaru says.

That was the wrong thing to say. It looked like Sasuke was going to have a go at Orochimaru. That was until Kakashi sat up on his knees and managed to get his arm around Sasuke's waist, stopping him.

As tempting as it was to let the graduate student tear into the creep, Kakashi knew better. He wasn't going to have Sasuke charged with assault. Orochimaru deserved it, but the law wouldn't see it that way.

"I'm flattered that you are so outraged on my behalf, but you don't need to punish them for me. I'm fine, Sasuke. Really." He says.

Sasuke mutters some rather colorful curses under his breath. Thankfully, the fast majority of which were directed at Orochimaru and Kabuto. Though Kakashi notes with some amusement, a few were reserved for him.

The man could have been a red head. Sasuke certainly did have a fiery temper at times. Sadly, Kakashi knew that he wouldn't be allowed to channel all that fire into more…enjoyable pursuits.

"I always knew that you were articulate, but I must say that I'm rather impressed. That was quite a variety of curses that you just hurled at everyone in this room." He observes with a chuckle.

"What can I say? Itachi taught me well." Sasuke says with a sigh, slowly relaxing against Kakashi's hold.

"Itachi taught you all that? Hmm. I never would have guessed that. Though they do say that it's always the quiet ones. I suppose that's most certainly true in this case." The History Professor ponders out loud.

Tragically, Kakashi knew that his "snuggle time" was going to be cut short. Orochimaru would want to know what he had seen. Actually, scratch that. The other man would demand to know what he had seen.

Kakashi wasn't going to tell him though. That was private. It was about Sasuke. Now, he understood what had caused the student's violent reaction in the club. A massacre.

 _"Whatever you saw, it was just a hallucination. Don't let it bother you." Kakashi said at the hospital._

 _He had never been more terrified in his life than when he saw Sasuke go into a seizure. Mercifully, it looked like they weren't too late to get him the help that he needed though. Sasuke was in the hospital and would likely make a full recovery._

 _The other man was spooked though. Apparently, he had suffered from some rather vicious hallucinations while he was having his seizure. The silver haired man had never seen the Uchiha look so scared before, but he was resolved in his determination to comfort his former student._

 _I know that in my head, but my heart won't believe it. It all felt so real." Sasuke whispered._

 _One way or another, he would help Sasuke. He'd help the med student get through this. Kakashi just wasn't sure how yet. He needed to know what he was dealing with first._

 _What did you see?" The History Professor asked softly._

 _Death. I saw death. Lots of it." Sasuke answered him in a broken voice._

It all made sense now. Sasuke had reacted that way because of _memories_. Not because of poison.

He had remembered a horrific massacre from a past life. His entire family had been slaughtered by his own brother. Truly, it was no wonder why Sasuke's body had shut down. His mind just hadn't been able to handle it and his body had tried to protect him via said shut down.

"Come on, Kakashi. I'll drive you home. You're in no shape to drive." Sasuke says.

"What? He can't go yet. He hasn't told us what happened! At the very least, he should write it all down, before he forgets!" Orochimaru thunders in outrage.

"I'll have him write it all down, when he's home. For now, you can fuck off." Sasuke growls at the other man as he leads his former Professor towards his car.

Kakashi chuckles. Sasuke was such a tiger when it came to defending those that he cared about. In a way, it made sense that he was once a ninja.

A very young ninja. He had read about the fact that ninjas were trained from childhood, but seeing it was completely different than reading about it. His heart suddenly ached for a version of Sasuke that hadn't existed for hundreds of years.

"So where do you live?" The Uchiha asks, once they were in his car.

"It's not far." Kakashi says as he quickly mutters out the instructions and with that, the two of them drove off. (After fastening their seatbelts, of course).

He couldn't believe it. Sasuke was actually going back to his place with him. Unfortunately though, this wasn't exactly what he had in mind when he had fantasized about his particular scenario.

Oh well. There was no reason to complain. It was a start and that was the last thing on his mind, before he fell asleep in Sasuke's car.


	7. Chapter 7

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Sasuke has a rather colorful vocabulary in this chapter. Hopefully, everyone finds that amusing and not offensive.

Chapter 7

A short while later, Sasuke was at Kakashi's place. It was surprisingly clean for a bachelor pad. He glances around curiously only to discover that it was rather modern with all the gadgets that anyone could want.

That included a big screen tv, a couple of rather fancy looking laptops, a fully modern kitchen, and was that a hot tub in the back? Sasuke was pretty damn sure that was a hot tub.

"Nice place." He comments, not sure of what else to say.

What was the proper protocol when you took the object of your affections back to their home? Normally, that would be a good sign that a date was going really well. Sadly, that wasn't the case this time.

Orochimaru had done something to Kakashi. He had drugged him up with a higher dose than normal. God only knows what the silver haired man had actually seen. Kakashi needed comforting and looking after, not someone to have fun sexy times with in the hot tub.

"Thank you. I think I'll just sit on the couch for awhile. Make sure that this episode is over, before I try to do anything else." The History Professor says as he walks over and proceeds to do exactly that.

God Sasuke wanted to tear Orochimaru and Kabuto apart. They knew that the experiments were potentially dangerous. They also knew that Kakashi was a bit older than most of the other subjects. There was really no way to tell how his body would react to the serum.

Knowing that, the two creeps had elected to give Kakashi a high dose of the serum. A dosage that could have killed him. Kabuto and Orochimaru should be in jail for reckless endangerment of a test subject or something like that!

"That's probably a good idea. Do you need anything?" Sasuke asks softly.

He needed to focus on something besides how much he really, really wanted to kill them. Murder was still wrong. The police wouldn't see Sasuke going after Orochimaru and Kabuto as him trying to save another man's life. They'd just see it as attempted murder.

That was why Sasuke was desperately trying to cool his fury. He would have been angry no matter, no matter what though. If they had done this to any other person, the Uchiha still would have been angry. The fact that they had done it to Kakashi though, well that only intensified his fury.

"No. I should be good. Do feel free to help yourself to whatever is in the kitchen. Feeding you seems like the least that I can do. I know that you are a med student, but I highly doubt that you were planning on becoming my nurse." Kakashi says with amusement.

Sasuke preferred the term doctor, but he wouldn't quibble. If calling himself a nurse made Kakashi like him more, he was more than willing to put up with it. Sadly, he knew that he wasn't going to get anywhere with the other man.

Kakashi was far too smart to get involved with a former student. He was far too smart to get involved with someone who was as young as Sasuke. Well at least that was Sasuke's opinion on the matter, anyway.

"I'm good. What did you see? I told you what I saw." Sasuke asks as he sits down next to the other man.

"I'd rather not say. Let's just say that you aren't the only one who had a disturbing flashback. We were both ninjas in our past lives and I don't believe that was always a fun occupation. It seems like we both suffered a great deal back then." Kakashi says with a heavy sigh.

Kakashi was sighing. That wasn't a good idea. The other man had always seemed so serene. So confident and content with his place in the world. Rarely, did Sasuke see him get upset about anything.

So the fact that the History Professor was speaking with such sadness about his former life, that set off alarm bells in Sasuke's mind. Whatever Kakashi had seen, it hadn't been good. It couldn't have been good.

"Yeah. It looks like it. Does it matter though? That life has nothing to do with this one." Sasuke dares himself to voice the question that had been on his mind since his horrible flashbacks started.

"Normally, I would be inclined to agree. I don't want to alarm you, but there are echoes between this life and the last one. Parallels. The circumstances may have changed, but I think the characters and genre are staying the same." The other man replies.

That's what Sasuke was afraid of. Did that mean that something horrible was going to happen to his family in this life or was the danger already over? Sasuke had been a child when his family died in the other life. He was a fully grown man in this one.

"I was thinking the same thing. What did you see? You can tell me. I'm not going to tell anyone. I definitely won't tell Orochimaru or Kabuto. You can trust me." He pleads with Kakashi.

He wanted the other academic to know that he could trust him. If nothing else, Sasuke at least wanted that much. Kakashi might never be his lover, but at least they could be friends.

"I do trust you, Sasuke. I do. It's just that I don't want to put you through anymore pain than is absolutely necessary. I think that it would be wise for you to stop working on this experiment. It's now getting too dangerous. You have already ended up in the hospital once and you saw what happened to me." The History Professor reminds him.

Sasuke knew that Kakashi was just looking out for his safety and a part of him appreciated it. That didn't change the fact that he wasn't going to run away. Not now. Not ever!

"Let's say that I stop working with them. You know that they have been recruiting other test subjects. Just because I'll be safe, doesn't meant that they'll be safe. Don't we have a duty to keep an eye on the situation and make sure that no one else gets hurt?" Sasuke dares himself to ask.

"That's true. I'm thinking about reporting Orochimaru." The silver haired teacher informs Sasuke.

Reporting him?! Was Kakashi out of his mind?! If he did that, it would be Kakashi's word against Orochimaru and that snake was too smart to get caught. He'd take precautions, if it came down to it.

Sasuke could easily see Orochimaru throwing Kabuto under the bus, if it meant saving his own skin. There was very little that snake wouldn't do, when it came to preserving his own hide. Everybody else was secondary in his world view. That's assuming that innocent people even factored into it at all (and Sasuke wasn't sure that they did for Dr. Sannin).

"Don't. We need proof before you do that! If you report him without evidence, you'll potentially be committing career suicide!" Sasuke hisses at him.

"Sasuke, I'm flattered by how much you care. I really am. My career isn't nearly as important as someone's life though." Kakashi reasons.

Damn it. That was another reason why Sasuke's little infatuation with Kakashi wouldn't go away. Yeah. He could be a bit lazy and eccentric on the surface, but the man had a good heart.

He was willing to step up to the plate, when other people would. Sasuke wasn't going to let him do that this time though. No. He was going to put his foot down!

"If you report him and don't have any proof, he'll get better at hiding it. After that, it will be impossible for us to catch him. I'll continue being the test subject. He likes me. He doesn't like you. I'm a safer choice than you." Sasuke counters.

"That's very noble, Sasuke. I'm afraid that I can't allow you to do that though. I can't in good conscience allow one of my students to walk into harm's way like that. I'll be the one who takes the injections. Not you." The History Professor decides.

Sasuke feels himself twitch at that answer. He might be in love with Kakashi, but like Hell was he going to let the sexy teacher boss him around. Kakashi wasn't his father, his brother, or his lover. He wasn't even the Uchiha's current professor. He was overstepping his grounds!

"You won't ALLOW me to do it? Last I checked, I'm over eighteen and you aren't my father. You can't stop me from participating in whatever clinical trials that I want. You have absolutely no authority over me, Kakashi!" He hisses at him.

He wasn't stupid. Sasuke knew the odds of Kakashi ever loving him back were almost impossible, but he wasn't going to be treated like a child. At the very least, Kakashi was going to acknowledge that he was an adult!

Meanwhile Orochimaru looks over Kabuto's notes and frowns. He was sure that Kakashi had seen something important, but it was unlikely that his colleague was going to tell him what. This was becoming rather frustrating.

"I can take another dose and let you know, what I see." His assistant offers.

"Thank you, Kabuto. I wouldn't want to risk it at this time though. You've already taken quite a few. I don't want to jeopardize your health though. I believe that it is time to try something new." The Medical Professor says thoughtfully.

If Kakashi and Sasuke weren't going to tell him what they saw, Orochimaru would just have to take drastic measures. After all, if you want something done right, you should do it yourself. Wasn't that how the old saying went?

"What did you have in mind?" The Teaching Assistant inquires cautiously.

It was possible that Kabuto knew where his line of thought was going. Kabuto was a bright man. There was no reason to assume that he didn't understand what was going on.

"I want to inject myself with the serum. I believe that Kakashi and Sasuke are going to be rather difficult patients. So I think that I should participate more directly in this program." He states as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The silver haired man looks less than convinced at Orochimaru's answer. He knew what was going on. Kabuto was concerned about his safety.

That was touching, but it was also frustrating. He could make his own decisions and while he appreciated the concern, Orochimaru wasn't going to let anything get in his way. Not even his friend.

"Are you sure that's wise? I know that we were teasing Kakashi about his age, but really is a factor. You're almost twice his age. We have no idea what sort of effects this experiment could have on you." The lab assistant asks him.

"I know that it's a risk, but it's one that I'm willing to take. I would be a hypocrite, if I wasn't willing to undergo the same procedures that I am asking all those college kids to endure. Wouldn't I?" Dr. Sannin inquires in a soft voice.

He knew that he had to be gentle with the other man. His caution was coming out of a genuine concern for Orochimaru's well-being. He wasn't enough of a heartless monster to be angry over that.

His caution was inconvenient, but it was manageable. All that Medical Professor needed to do was say the right words. Once he said the right words, he was confident that Kabuto would come to his senses.

"Well yes, but they aren't your age. There is no way of knowing what sort of impact this could have on your heart." Kabuto warns him.

"I've already considered all that and I'm still willing to take the risks. Are you really going to refuse to treat me? I'm the one who came up with this experiment and you are now defying an order from your superior. I could just dismiss you from the project, if you continue this behavior." Orochimaru warns him.

He would prefer to be gentle with Kabuto, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't fight dirty. Orochimaru was certainly willing to fight dirty, if it meant getting what he wanted. Right now, he wanted to see what he could discover about his past life and he was going to do so.

No one was going to stop him. Not even Kabuto. Kabuto would do well to accept that fact and if he couldn't, Orochimaru would just dismiss him.

"Are you threatening to fire me?" Kabuto asks in disbelief.

"I wouldn't fire you. You're a skilled Teaching Assistant. I will dismiss you from this project though, if I feel that you can't handle it. So tell me, Kabuto. Can you handle it?" Orochimaru demands.

He sees the man stiffen and for a moment, Dr. Sannin felt guilty. Only for a moment though, Orochimaru wouldn't be stopped that easily. He was going to be the man who reactivated chakra networks and discovered the secrets of past lives!

He would be rich and famous. Orochimaru would have his name written in every history and science textbook in the world. Children everywhere would know his name! Why he would be right up there next to Albert Einstein!

"Forgive me, Orochimaru. I may have overstepped my grounds. I was only worried about your safety, course. I will do what you ask. Shall we get started?" Kabuto asks.

"There's nothing to forgive. Just remember that sometimes, one has to take risks. Nothing ventured, nothing gained." He states as he holds out his arm for the injection.

"Of course." Kabuto says as he gives Orochimaru the injection.

 _"How perfect. I never would have thought that such an opportunity would fall right into my lap." Orochimaru said._

 _He was in a strange place. Orochimaru had no idea what to call. Well other than some kind of primitive medical lab, perhaps._

 _"What are you talking about, My Lord?" Kabuto asked._

 _"Sasuke Uchiha. I've already given him my curse mark. The boy wants revenge against his brother. He'll do almost anything to get it. I'm certain that if I dispatch a team to explain things to him, Sasuke will come to the Sound and agree to be my next Vessel." The elderly ninja replied._

 _Kabuto was his most faithful servant and that was certainly saying something. Orochimaru now had an entire village filed with Criminal Ninjas and most of them worshipped the ground that he walked on. That was by design, of course._

 _He usually found them when they were young. Orochimaru preferred to find talented, promising young ninjas and recruit them. If you could earn their trust when they were a child, you had it for life._

 _"Excellent. I shall dispatch a team for you then." The bespectacled man promised._

 _"Good. Thank you, Kabuto." Orochimaru whispered._

 _He was going to unlock the key to immortality. In order to do that though, he had to prolong his life with Vessels. People who would give him their body._

 _Unfortunately, that meant that he had change bodies on a semi regular basis. If he didn't, his current form would deteriorate and he would eventually die. Sasuke would be his most powerful Vessel yet though._

 _"You're welcome, My Lord." The silver haired man said, before heading off._

 _Orochimaru was sure of it. Finally, he would get his hands on the Sharingan. Itachi may have slipped through his fingers, but Sasuke wouldn't._

"Orochimaru! Orochimaru!" Kabuto calls out in horror as he watches the man's eye lull to the back of his head and he begins to fall towards the ground.

Luckily, the research assistant was able to catch him. That fall could have been quite disastrous at Orochimaru's age. While he wasn't a senior citizen yet, Orochimaru was getting up there in years and Kabuto didn't want to take any chances.

He didn't want to take any chances that the other man would break his hip or something. That would be awful. No. He wouldn't allow such a thing to happen.

"It's alright, Kabuto. It worked. It seems that I also knew Sasuke in my past life. How very interesting." He whispers, a few minutes later when the room had finally stopped spinning.

Back at Kakashi's home, the silver haired man stares at Sasuke. He had never seen the other man get angry at him before. Sasuke may have expressed annoyance at him, now and then. Never anger though.

"You're right, Sasuke. Legally, I have no authority over you. We both know that, but I'm asking you to stop working with Orochimaru. I'm worried about your safety." He says, trying to reason with the handsome and very hot headed Uchiha.

"I'm worried about you too. I'm worried about everyone that he is conducting his sick little experiments on. That's why, I have to do this. Kakashi, have to do this. I'd never be able to live with myself, if someone died from these experiments and I didn't do everything in my power to prevent that." He says.

Kakashi sighs. He felt the same way. The History Professor couldn't really begrudge Sasuke for doing the same.

"I know. I understand, but it's difficult. You know, teachers aren't really supposed to have favorite students. You've always been an exception though. I tried not to favor you, but I always did. That's why I'm asking you not to continue being a test subject." He whispers.

"I'm sorry. I'm doing it. I'm not a little kid, Kakashi. I don't need you to protect me. If anything, I'm the one that's protecting you from him!" Sasuke snaps at him.

Sasuke was all fiery fury at the moment. Kakashi knew that it was wrong, but there was something very attractive about that fact. It was a turn on.

"Sasuke, I've never seen you as a child. That's precisely the problem!" He retorts, before he even bothered to realize he was saying.

"Why the fuck is that a problem?! The youngest people that you have in your classes have already graduated high school! I wasn't a child when I walked into your classroom and I damn sure am not one now!" Sasuke half screams at him.

"Because my feelings for you go far beyond favoring an academically gifted student. I love you and I really shouldn't. It's completely inappropriate." Kakashi says.

Sasuke blinks and that's when Kakashi realizes that he might have just ruined everything. There would be no going back beyond this point. He couldn't take those words back.

"You love me?" Sasuke asks in disbelief.

"Yes, but you don't need to worry about that. Unlike Orochimaru, I never had any intention of throwing my affections at you. I'd never do that when they weren't wanted. You're also my student. It'd be wrong." The silver haired man says.

"You're nothing like Orochimaru and I'm not your student anymore. I'm of age. It's not like the University could fire you. It's not wrong. How long? How long have you been keeping this from me?" Sasuke demands.

Kakashi winces at the accusing tone in Sasuke's voice. He might be saying that it wasn't wrong, but he was likely thinking it. Well it was too late to turn back now. He might as well lay all his cards out on the table and deal with the consequences.

"I think that I knew subconsciously since the moment that I first saw you that you were special. I didn't realize at the time how deep my feelings would grow. Perhaps they were always that strong and I just was in denial, but about three months into your history class with me…I realized that I had romantic feelings for you." He answers honestly.

Sasuke blinks again. The History Professor was positive that the other man was just trying to compose himself. Sasuke wasn't unreasonable. He would likely realize that people couldn't control their feelings. Maybe, he was just trying to cool his newfound rage that was now direct at him for being such a deviant.

"You've had feelings for me for years and you didn't say anything?" The raven haired college student asks incredulously.

"Yes, I've had feelings for you for a long time. It was obviously wrong. I shouldn't have wanted one of my own students, even after you completed my course." He says.

"Shut up, you idiot." Sasuke growls at him as he shoves the other man onto the couch.

Kakashi blinks. He had never really considered the possibility that the Uchiha might actually get seriously upset, if he confessed. Sadly, how he had to reevaluate that assumption.

"Alright. I'll be quite. As I said, I never intended to act on it. I'm not that much of a deviant. I have deviant thoughts, but I rarely act on them." He assures Sasuke.

"That's not why I'm telling you to shut up. I'm not angry that you have feelings for me. I'm angry that you didn't tell me. Do you have any idea how many fucking cold showers that I've had to take because of you over the years?!" Sasuke demands as he growls into Kakashi's ear.

Kakashi blinks. Did Sasuke just say what he thought he said? He returned his feelings and something about cold showers?

It was a little hard to tell. All the blood was rapidly rushing south. Mostly because of that growl and some rather erotic images were now flashing across his mind's eye rapidly.

"Wait. What?" Kakashi asks dumbly.

"Well I never said anything because I didn't think you'd be interested in a relationship with a former student. I tried to tell you that night at the club, but then I had that seizure." Sasuke says.

He had tried to confess his feelings for him?! Damn Orochimaru! Even when the other man wasn't intentionally trying to find a way to screw him over, Dr. Sannin still managed to do so.

"Oh. Well it seems what we have here is a series of misunderstandings and the reason why one shouldn't make assumptions." He muses.

"Yeah. I guess you could say that." Sasuke says as he straddles Kakashi's lap and brushes his lips against the other man's.

That was all it took. The last shred of Kakashi's self-control suddenly snapped as he kissed back. The feeling of Sasuke's lips against his was impossible to resist.

"Well what do you say, that we make up for lost time?" Kakashi whispers between heated kisses.

Sasuke was an excellent kisser. A natural seducer. All passion with more than a touch of reverence and caution. It was as if his former student wasn't entirely sure what he liked and was worried about doing something wrong.

"I'd like that." Sasuke says with a smirk.

Frankly, that was rather adorable. Kakashi doubted that Sasuke COULD do anything wrong in this context, even if he wanted to. Still it was nice to know that he cared.

"You taste like red wine and dark chocolate." Kakashi tells him.

"You taste like mint and watermelon. Not really sure why, but it's kinda hot." Sasuke says.

God help him, the youngest Uchiha was going to be the death of him. Still Kakashi couldn't find it in himself to care. What a way to go. At least he would die with a smile on his face.


	8. Chapter 8

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 8

"You're such an idiot. You really should have told me." Sasuke murmurs between kisses.

Despite his somewhat harsh words, the Uchiha was smiling was he was kissing the silver haired man. He never would have thought that Kakashi would actually return his feelings. It sucked that they had wasted years, but he was more than happy to make up for lost time.

First things first, they had a rather nice hot tub that could assist them on this endeavor. Hmm. Would Kakashi be up for that though? The whole reason they were back at his place in the first place was because he had a negative reaction to the serum.

"Well obviously, I couldn't tell you while you were my student. Grading your essays on the same desk that I ravished you wouldn't be very ethical." He reasons with a sly smile, before kissing Sasuke back.

Sasuke wasn't a blushing innocent. It wasn't like he was completely inexperienced, but he was definitely blushing now. A lot.

Thanks to Kakashi he now had some nice images to work into his fantasies later on. So the History Professor really was the type who liked to have sex on his desk then? That was very good to know!

"I guess you're right about that. After I was done with your class, you could have said something though." He protests.

"Perhaps. I didn't want to come across as well similar to Orochimaru though. It seems that his obsession with you is a reoccurring theme with him though." Kakashi says with a sigh.

"You're nothing like him and can you never mention him again when we're _together_? I really don't want to think about that creep while we're making out." Sasuke retorts.

He sees Kakashi chuckle and puffs up indignity. He didn't see anything about what he said that was funny! Seriously, why was the other man laughing at him?

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. I just don't believe that I've had my partner use the phrase makeout in quite sometime. It makes me feel like a teenager again. Like I smuggled you into our house while our parents were out of town for the evening." He admits as his eyes dance with undisguised mirth.

"Oh. Right. Good point. Well speaking of more grownup seductions, were you serious about the whole desk thing?" Sasuke asks.

"I might be. My class is soundproof from the outside. I don't want to let anything interfere with my students' examinations, after all." The History Professor informs him.

Soundproof, huh? Sasuke liked the sound of that. He really liked the sound of that. Pun intended.

"I could live with that. We'd have to lock the doors of course and you'd be the one getting ravished. Not me." Sasuke says smugly.

It was more bluster than anything. The Uchiha was almost certain that Kakashi would eventually end up taking the reigns. It was only natural, really. He was older. He had more experience and as much as he was loathed to admit it, the silver haired man had been in a position of authority over him. Sasuke was almost subconsciously primed to let him take control

That didn't mean that he was going to make it easy for him or at least TRY to be the "giver" as Kakashi called it. He'd never bottomed before. That took a lot of trust to do for someone and while Sasuke trusted Kakashi, well couldn't lie. He was a bit self-conscious about not being in charge.

"Ah the arrogance of youth. How cute. Well I'm certainly not opposed to variety in positions though as I told Kabuto, I do prefer to be the more…assertive lover in most cases." He replies.

Sasuke blinks. He hadn't really expected Kakashi to be so blunt about it. Then again, he probably should have expected it.

The History Professor had read some erotic romance novels while his students were taking their exams. He'd taunted Kabuto and Orochimaru outrageously. Oh and then there was that crack about ravishing Sasuke on his desk. So yeah, Kakashi was definitely a World Class Pervert.

"Oh it's not arrogance when it's stating a fact." Sasuke retorts.

Not that Sasuke minded. As long as Kakashi's "deviancy" as focused solely on him, the Uchiha definitely didn't mind. He'd encourage, really.

He had years of sexual frustration to deal with because of this man and it was about time that Kakashi made it up to him. Desks, hot tubs, couches, and beds mattered little to him. Locations could add a bit of spice to sex, but the most important thing was him.

Kakashi. The man that he had been secretly pining over for years. Well perhaps not so secretly. Jugo knew and apparently, Orochimaru had known. How Kakashi had missed it, Sasuke wasn't that he would ever fully understand though.

"That does sound like a rather fun challenge. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that it wouldn't be a good idea for us to do much more than kissing and a little caressing tonight. As much as I would love to wrestle with you for the privilege, I don't think that it'd be particularly advised. We still don't know what sorts of effects that serum will have on me." He whispers as caresses Sasuke's cheek.

Sasuke frowns. Damn Orochimaru. The man was always getting in the way of him and Kakashi. It was like he was purposely doing it.

Well Sasuke knew that Dr. Sannin didn't want him to be with Kakashi, but he was also logical to know what was a coincidence and what wasn't. Orochimaru had no way of knowing that they would tell each other how they felt on the night that he had almost poisoned Kakashi. That had just been good luck for Orochimaru and bad luck for them.

"Yeah. You're right. You sure that you don't want to go to the hospital?" The raven haired man asks in concern.

"If I go to the hospital, they might do blood work. If they do that, they'll recognize the same substance that they found in you. It'll raise too many questions." Kakashi says.

Sasuke frowns more. The History Professor was right. He might not like it, but they had to be careful. They couldn't reckless. Not when the stakes were this high.

"Alright, but take it easy." Sasuke tells him.

"Mmm of course, Doctor. I know that I'm rather fortunate to be in your care and for now, I'll be good and follow your orders." He promises.

The med student mentally curses Orochimaru and his entire family line. How was he supposed to be a good "doctor" when Kakashi was saying stuff like that?! This just wasn't fair!

Meanwhile Itachi was getting concerned. Sasuke wasn't answering any of his texts. That meant that more drastic methods were necessary. Methods like marching over to his foolish little brother's dorm and demanding answers.

"Sasuke, open the door! I know you're in there!" He growls as he knocks on the door.

A few seconds later, a rather bewildered looking Jugo opens the door. Oh right. Jugo was Sasuke's roommate. Well maybe, he'd know what happened to his brother.

Normally, Itachi wouldn't have worried so much about Sasuke taking longer than usual to get back to him. After all, he was a busy graduate student. That was before Sasuke had collapsed and had a seizure though.

"Hey, Itachi. Is everything alright?" The gentle giant asks in concern.

"I don't know. I tried texting Sasuke, but he's not answering. Is he with you? I'm worried. It wasn't that long ago that he had that episode." Itachi admits.

He hated to admit to being worried, but he was. His perfectly healthy brother had suddenly wound up in the hospital and now said brother was missing! This was not a good combination!

"Oh well he's at Dr. Sannin's lab. Sasuke's one of his research assistants on some project that he's working on. He's probably still there." Jugo tells him.

"Thank you. I really do appreciate it. Maybe, I'm worried over nothing, but I would rather know." Itachi says.

"No problem. Though I don't think that you have to worry too much. Dr. Sannin is creepy, but I really don't think that he's going to try anything with Kakashi standing right next to Sasuke. He signed up for the trials." Jugo says.

Itachi's eyes narrow at this. He certainly didn't care for that thought. While he couldn't blame Kakashi for not wanting to leave Sasuke alone with Orochimaru, the elder Uchiha brother knew that it was highly unlikely that the History Professor's intentions were completely noble in nature.

"I see. Well thank you again. I still think that it would be wise to check up on him. Just to be on the safe side." The doctor states.

"Yeah. Good idea. Tell him to get his ass back here, when you finally find him. I was starting to get a bit worried myself, honestly." The orange haired man says.

"I'll be sure to do so." Itachi replies as he heads off towards Orochimaru's Lab.

His little House of Horrors. God only knows what sort of things the Medical Scientists had inside that place. Frankly, Itachi didn't even want to know. It was probably better for his sanity, if he didn't.

"Is anyone in there?" He asks as he knocks on the door.

A few moments later, the door was opened by Kabuto. Itachi recognized the man as being one of Dr. Sannin's favorite pets. The man did tend to collect those who would admire his scientific research.

As much as Itachi loathed Orochimaru, he wasn't delusional. The man was almost second to none in his field and that naturally attracted admirers. Sadly, it had all obviously gone to the other man's head.

"Itachi, what a surprise. What are you doing here?" The bespectacled lab assistant inquires innocently.

Too innocently. That meant that Kabuto was involved in all this. Probably more heavily than he appeared to be at first. That only made sense though. Dr. Sannin would want his lackey to take the fall, if something went wrong.

"I wanted to see if my brother was here. His name is Sasuke and I was told that he was working on this project with Dr. Sannin." He states simply.

It was tempting to tear into Kabuto. At the moment though, it would serve no purpose. Well other than his own personal satisfaction.

"Ah yes. He is a part of our project, but I'm afraid that he left a little while ago." The Teaching Assistant replies.

"Yes, that's true. It was most unfortunate. I believe that he had other matters to attend to. He left with Kakashi. It's always nice to see a former teacher getting along so well with their former student." Orochimaru comments slyly.

Itachi recognized that observation for what it was. It was bait. The other man was goading him. Unfortunately, it was working.

"I see. Do you have any idea where they might have gone?" Itachi asks.

"I'm afraid not. The only thing that I can think of is that Kakashi might have been escorting Sasuke back to his dorm. That or perhaps they went out to get some dinner. As I said, they do have a remarkably close bond." Orochimaru continues with a smirk.

That was it. Itachi didn't believe in violence. Well except for self-defense, but Orochimaru was certainly making him reevaluate that philosophy! The man was utterly infuriating to put it mildly!

"You're brushing up closely to a rather dangerous line, Dr. Sannin. It's one thing to take an active interest in a bright student. It's another to personally insert yourself in their romantic lives. As far as your concern, Sasuke's relationship with Kakashi or his lack of one shouldn't interest you in the least. You do well to remember the line between your personal and professional life." Itachi hisses at him.

"Of course. I was only making a casual observation." He replies with a sickeningly sweet smile.

That only made Itachi want to punch him more. He was only human and the medical scientist was quickly testing the limits of his patience. Itachi would have to get out of here before he did something stupid.

"It didn't sound casual to me. I think that it's only fair to warn you that the only interest my brother has in you is due to your academic skills. He is not in the habit of dating men old enough to be his grandfather." The elder Uchiha brother begins.

He smirks when he saw how outraged Kabuto looked. Good. Let the idiot be outraged. It was about time that he realized Orochimaru didn't belong on some pedestal.

"How dare you speak to Dr. Sannin in such a disrespectful way?! This is most outrageous! He was merely expressing his happiness for your brother and you had to go and make it sound unseemly. What is the matter with you?!" The silver haired man demands.

He was the one that was making it sound unseeingly? Ha. That was a laugh and they all knew it. Itachi doubted that Kabuto was unaware of Orochimaru's less than honorable intentions towards Sasuke.

"I was not addressing you, Kabuto. It is rude to interrupt another person's conversation." The young doctor seethes.

Kabuto was clearly deluding himself or protesting too much. Itachi wasn't entirely certain which was the case and he didn't care. Kabuto wasn't his concern at the moment. Sasuke was.

"I can see that all Uchihas have an utterly charming bedside manner when addressing their colleagues. Now, I know where Sasuke picked up his bad habit. The boy just has a very hard time playing nicely with others. He most likely learned that from you." Orochimaru taunts him.

This man had a death wish. That was the only logical explanation. Dr. Sannin clearly didn't know who he was dealing with, but he was about to find out.

"I don't particularly care what you think about my manners. What I can about is the safety and happiness of my brother. As I was saying, I can see that you are having issues understanding professional and personal boundaries. If you do not cease speculating on my brother's love life, I may have to operate. I'm no veterinarian, but I assure you that I can "fix" any problems that cold showers are not resolving for you." He warns him and with that, Itachi departs from Orochimaru's Lab.

A short while later, Sasuke was watching Kakashi intently. He was watching him for any signs that he was going to have to rush the other man to the hospital. If it came down to it, the Uchiha wouldn't hesitate to do so.

"Sasuke, you don't have to watch me as though you are worried that I'll drop dead any moment." Kakashi teases him.

"We don't know what was in that stuff." Sasuke reminds him.

"Yes, I'm aware. I think that I'll just sleep it off. You're welcome to stay, if you want to continue this house call of yours." The silver haired man informs him.

Kakashi was inviting him to stay the night. Sasuke couldn't help, but lick his lips nervously in response. Normally, he knew what sort of results an invitation like that might lead to. This was different though.

The silver haired man was still recovering from that damn serum. Kakashi simply wasn't ready to do much more than kissing and Sasuke would respect that. It would be hard, but he would respect that.

"Alright. I'll help you get there and I guess I can just watch tv on the couch or something." The med student offers.

"You don't need to confine yourself to the couch. Usually, only quarreling lovers do that. We aren't quarreling. I just think some rest would be best. Once I'm feeling better, I'll be more than happy to continue our earlier conversation." Kakashi assures him.

"Glad to hear it." Sasuke says with a smirk as he leads Kakashi to the bedroom.

A few minutes later and Kakashi was sitting on the bed. Sasuke was curled up next to him and they were watching tv. Well more specifically, his former student was watching tv.

He was mostly watching Sasuke. Kakashi still couldn't believe that the other man actually returned his feelings, but he wasn't going to argue. He knew better than to argue when things actually went your way in life. All too often, they didn't.

"I didn't realize that you were fond of comedies." Kakashi says as he runs his fingers through Sasuke's dark spiky tresses.

"Meh. It varies. Mostly I'm fond of being next to you as I watch them though." Sasuke replies automatically.

It wasn't really an intentionally seductive to say. There was no real elegance to it, but it made him smile more all the same. Sasuke could be surprisingly sweet in his own way, even though Kakashi doubted that the Uchiha had realized that yet.

"Well then, I'm happy that I make your television viewing experience more pleasurable." He responds.

"You make everything more pleasurable." Sasuke says as he turns his head slightly and kisses Kakashi.

The History Teacher could only smirk as he returned the kiss. Now THAT had been intended to be a seduction. Unfortunately, he couldn't really take what Sasuke might be offering. It was too risky.

That and the silver haired man wasn't entirely certain how far the med student was willing to go. He had implied multiple times that his sexual attraction to him was powerful, but fantasy was different from reality. This was their first night together as a couple and that was why Kakashi doubted that Sasuke would have gone much further than kissing.

"Mmm that's very kind of you to say." He whispers after breaking the kiss.

They spent what was likely an hour or so kissing and half-heartedly watching the comedy. Kakashi couldn't remember when that kissing had lead to cuddling, but it had. Not long after that, he drifts off to sleep.

 _Kakashi walked into the Hokage's Office. This wasn't an unusual occurrence. He was a Jonin, after all. It was only natural that Sarutobi would speak with him on a semi regular basis. Today was different though._

 _Today was the day that he had been dreading. He knew what Sarutobi was going to say to him and he was going to argue against it. Kakashi didn't want the team that was likely going to be assigned to him._

 _"Kakashi, you are going to be Sakura Haruno's, Naruto Uzumak's, and Sasuke Uchiha's instructor. Naruto possesses the Nine Tailed Fox. You're possibly the only instructor that I can think of who could handle him, if he loses control. That and Sasuke is the last Uchiha in this village. You have the only other Sharingan in the Leaf. While yours was implanted, you have the best chance of being able to teach him how to fully utilize his. That and the girl will benefit from your instruction greatly. She has great chakra control." The elderly man told him._

 _He understood the Hokage's reason. Kakashi really did. He didn't mind most of them._

 _Two of his potential students, the CopyCat Ninja wouldn't hesitate to teach. Sakura was a bright girl who would likely blossom under his instruction. Naruto was the host to the Nine Tailed Fox and with his Sharingan, he might be able to prevent a tragedy occurring. There was just one problem._

 _"It's Sasuke that I have the most concerns about." He confessed._

 _"He reminds you too much of Obito." Sarutobi replied as if it was the most obviously thing in the world and to the pair of ninjas, it probably was._

 _Obito had been his teammate. He had also been an Uchiha like Sasuke. The only difference was Obito was dead. He had died, after being crushed by a boulder._

 _Before his comrade had passed on though, he had given Kakashi his eye. His Sharingan. There was great power in those eyes. Power that often came at a terrible price._

 _"Yes, he does. I know that in terms of personality, they are nothing alike. Every time that I look at him though, I will be reminded of Obito. Not to mention, how am I supposed to explain my Sharingan to him? I'm not a member of his Clan and I only have one of them. He's going to ask questions." Kakashi reasoned._

 _"Then let him ask those questions. The boy is at a crossroads. When the Uchiha Massacre happened, he was just a child. He's still child in many ways, but he is well on the path to becoming a man. A man who will have spent most of his life thinking about only one thing. Killing his brother. He'll need guidance. You can provide him with that." Sarutobi chided him gently._

 _He knew that he wasn't being fair. It wasn't Sasuke's fault that he reminded him of Obito. As the Hokage said, they were nothing alike in personality._

 _Obito had been outrageously optimistic and competitive to the point of being annoying. From what he had gathered about Sasuke, the boy had completely closed himself off against the massacre. The only person that he interacted much with was Naruto and even then, that was only to engage in schoolyard fights._

 _"Very well. I will take them and train them." He said with a resigned sigh._

 _"Thank you, Kakashi." The Third said as he took another puff from that damn pipe of his._

"Kakashi?" Sasuke asks as the History Professor feels someone shake him.

"Mmm. What?" He replies in confusion as his eyes slowly open.

Sasuke didn't look too happy at the moment. Though he looked torn between anger and worry. That was strange.

"Should I take it as a bad sign that on our first night as a couple, you were calling out another man's name in your sleep?" Sasuke demands.

"Sasuke! It wasn't like that. It was that damn serum. I had a dream about another life. It's not as though I'm secretly pining for someone else." He says quickly.

Sasuke still gives him a rather miffed look as he crosses his arms and sighs. Eventually, reason won out over his jealousy. Thank goodness for that. Sasuke might not shoot fireballs in this life, but he was still a Black Belt in Karate. Causing him to go into a jealous rage was ill advised.

"Alright. What'd you see?" Sasuke asks.

"I was talking to an elderly man. I believe he was some sort of leader. The word Hokage came to mind several times." Kakashi admits cautiously.

"Hokage? That was the leader of the Leaf Village in the history books. What about him?" His new boyfriend asks.

Oh boy. Did he really want Sasuke to know that he had taught him in two lives? Was their relationship doomed from the start or had they fallen into each other's arms before?

"He was assigning me a team of Genin. Genin were what the younger ninjas were called." He answers truthfully.

"I was on your team." Sasuke mutters in a way that definitely wasn't a question.

"Yes, how did you know?" The silver haired man demands.

Good Lord, he could only hope that Sasuke hadn't become a mind reader. He really wasn't sure how to tell Sasuke about everything that had happened to him in his past life. He didn't know how to break the news gently.

"The way you were reacting to getting your team. You're not nearly as subtle as you like to think. It's okay, Kakashi. I don't care if you were my teacher back then. If I don't care now, why should I care about some past life that I can barely remember?" Sasuke asks with a shrug.

"I suppose that's a good point. Oh, Sasuke. I think I hear your phone beeping." Kakashi says.

Sasuke blinks and heads off to get his phone. He quickly turns it on and gulps when he sees the barrage of messages from Itachi. He was so screwed.

 **Sasuke, how are you feeling? - Itachi.**

 **I know that you might be resting after your seizure, so I just wanted to check in to make sure you were alright. - Itachi**

 **Sasuke, you're starting to actually worry me. Where the Hell are you? - Itachi.**

Sasuke winces as he continues reading them. Each message progressively getting more anxious and coming sooner and sooner. The last one made his blood run cold though.

 **That's it! I'm going to your dorm. I'm going to make sure you're alright. I'll be there in 15 minutes. - Itachi.**

Itachi had sent that message an hour ago. That meant that his brother had shown up at his dorm and he wasn't there. He was so screwed!

"Damn it!" Sasuke growls.


	9. Chapter 9

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 9

Sasuke winces as he rereads those texts for what seemed like the thousandth time and he dials Itachi's number. Hopefully, his brother would pick up. Maybe, there was a chance that he could stop the elder Uchiha from going on a warpath, but he doubted it.

"Itachi, I'm here. Sorry, that I didn't see your messages earlier. I got caught up with something and had my phone off." Sasuke apologizes.

"Foolish little brother, do you really think that I'm that naïve? I won't count that as a lie, but it might as well be. You didn't get caught up in something. You got caught up in someone. I already spoke to Orochimaru and Kabuto. The conversation was enlightening to say the least." He replies.

Sasuke gulps. Damn it. No. This couldn't be happening! Itachi knew that he had a thing for Kakashi. He might not know the depth of his feelings towards the other man, but his brother knew enough.

He knew enough for Sasuke to realize that he was about to get one Hell of a lecture. He deserved it really. The med student wasn't stupid or ignorant. He knew that there were a million reasons why entering into a romantic relationship with your former professor was not a smart move, but his heart just didn't care.

"Alright. So you know. It's not that uncommon. I'm hardly the first person to develop romantic feelings towards their instructor and I won't be the last." The raven haired man mutters defensively.

"Yes, I'm aware that it's common. What's less common is for the instructor to return their student's feelings. Sasuke, I'm worried that you might be getting in over your head." Itachi murmurs.

On some level, Sasuke understood that Itachi was right to worry about him. He was getting involved with a man who was a fair bit older than him. A man with far more experience in the ways of love and seduction than him. Such a relationship could easily turn out disastrously.

"Itachi, I'm not a child anymore. I love that you care enough about me to worry, but I'm a man now. I can make my own decisions. I love him and he loves me. That's just the way it's going to be." The younger Uchiha says with conviction.

If he wavered at all, Itachi would pounce. He would pounce on Sasuke's indecisiveness and try to keep them apart. The med student wouldn't allow that though.

Kakashi was the man that he had given his heart too. For him at least, there would be no going back. When an Uchiha fell in love, they fell hard.

"Very well. I can't stop you. Just know that you're behaving very foolishly and if he hurts you, I will turn him into an eunuch." Itachi replies cheerfully.

To most of the world, his family was a very practical one. It was filled with overachievers and they occupied a prestigious place in High Society. In reality, they were extremely passionate people. They were driven to excel and they were also secretly extreme romantics.

The notion of love at first sight was very appealing to most of his family. It was just something that they believed intuitively. Many would have called them naïve, but such things were of little consequence. It was just who they were.

"Yeah. Got it. I'll talk to you later." Sasuke says.

"And make sure that he fully understands that is not an idle threat." Itachi continues.

"Itachi! I get it! Goodbye!" Sasuke says as he winces at the ghastly mental image that his elder brother was painting for him as he hangs up on Itachi.

There was no way that he would ever allow his big brother to do that to his lover. Well his almost lover. Well eventually, Kakashi was going to be his lover. Sasuke just had to wait until he felt better and then they would make damn good use of that hot tub!

"Is he threatening me?" Kakashi asks in amusement and Sasuke nods in confirmation.

He was fortunate that the silver haired man seemed to find Itachi's threats at least somewhat funny. Most men would have run in the other direction screaming. Not Kakashi though.

Kakashi was brave and loyal. Those were two of the things that Sasuke liked most about him. He had always adored those qualities in his instructor.

 _ **Two Jonins are facing each other in combat. They're moving so fast, that I can't even track their movements. It's too much. Too intense,**_ _Sasuke thought to himself in dread._

 _There was a very good chance that they might die that day. Haku and Zabuza were incredibly powerful and fast. Kakashi was facing off against Zabuza and the two legendary ninjas were fighting each other with everything they had._

 _How had he ever thought that he could defeat Itachi? He'd never be strong enough to compete with them. Let alone with his brother._

 _"Sasuke, it's alright. I'm going to protect all of you. I'm not going to let my comrades die!" Kakashi called out to him as he continued to battle with the Mist Ninja._

 _Sasuke had never really understood the meaning of the word comrade before that day. Those words resonated with him in a way that his twelve year old mind couldn't fully articulate. He just knew that it was profound. A life changing experience._

 _He couldn't remember, if he actually replied or not. Sasuke just saw himself nod his head as he watched anxiously. He was literally frozen, but the fear wasn't' as powerful as before._

 _"Sasuke, we've got to help him! We've got to help Kakashi Sensei! Let's take out Haku!" Naruto called out to him._

 _"Right!" The Uchiha agreed as he moved towards Haku with Naruto at his flank._

 _They had to defeat Haku. It was the only way to ensure that he wouldn't go after Kakashi while their Sensei was fighting with Zabuza. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done._

Sasuke feels his eyes lull to the back of his head as the "vision" keeps coming fast and furious. A life or death battle. A battle where he had nearly died, but somehow had survived.

He literally felt as though he had been turned into a human pincushion. It was as if the needles that "Haku" had hurled at him in a previous life, had been throw at him in the present. It was complete and utter agony.

"Ahhhh!" Sasuke cries out in pain as Kakashi catch him.

He had almost fallen, but the silver haired man caught him. That was Kakashi though. He was always protecting him.

"Sasuke, it's alright. Whatever you saw, it isn't happening now. It's from another life. Just let it get out of your system." He whispers soothingly as he holds the other man closely.

"I know, but it feels so real." Sasuke croaks out as he leans against his boyfriend, his body unwilling to do more than just sag against him helplessly at the moment.

That was okay though. That was okay because Kakashi was here. Kakashi meant safety and for the moment, that was all that mattered to Sasuke.

Meanwhile Orochimaru paces. He could feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins. That was how he knew that he was close to unlocking another memory.

"Orochimaru, are you alright?" Kabuto asks in concern.

"Yes, I'm fine. I think the serum is in on the verge of working. How are my chakra pathways looking, by the way?" The other man asks.

It was amazing, really. He had almost forgotten the original point of this experiment. Reopening chakra pathways.

The discovery of past lives had just been so fascinating that everything else almost paled in comparison. Orochimaru was even more eager to learn about his former self than he was to use chakra again in some ways.

"Your pathways have slightly enlarged. It's enough that it isn't from natural causes. Clearly, our experiments are having an impact. Unfortunately, it's not nearly enough for you to have access to your chakra reserves." The silver haired lab assistant replies.

"Good. Well that's progress at least. How are you feeling?" The medical researcher asks.

"I'm fine. I think the side effects have disappeared now. The serum is now out of my system. I'm ready to try more injections, if you desire it." Kabuto informs him.

Ah good. The more people who were taking injections, the better. It was always good to have a large sample size. That would help to rule out chance.

"I think that would be a fine idea indeed. What do you think Itachi will do about Kakashi's little romance with Sasuke?" He asks with a smirk.

It did irritate him that it was becoming increasingly clear that not only did Sasuke have feelings for the History Professor, but that he was more than willing to act on them. Now that Kakashi was aware of that fact, it was only a matter of time before they fell into each other's arms.

"I think that Itachi will try to keep them apart. He'll do his best to terrify Kakashi out of seeing Sasuke. I don't know if he'll be successful or not, but I do know that Sasuke is close to his brother. At the end of the day, Itachi's opinion matters to him and that's going to cause friction between them." The bespectacled man reasons.

Orochimaru smirks at that answer. It was most certainly true that the Uchiha Brothers were close. Surely, Itachi's word would hold sway over Sasuke.

While Orochimaru knew that his own chances of winning over the younger man's heart were slim, he most assuredly did not want to see Kakashi take his rightful place at Sasuke's side. If only he were younger, the Professor was confident that the raven would have fallen for him. Sadly, fate had decided not to be that kind to him.

"Good. At least some good will come out of today. Eventually, Sasuke will come to me. I'm certain of it." He states and that's when he was hit with another vision.

 _"Clever. You used pain to distract you from your fear." Orochimaru said._

 _He was in a forest. Not just any forest, but the Forest of Death. At the moment, he was assessing Sasuke Uchiha and his team._

 _Sasuke would make the perfect vessel. He was intelligent, strong, and filled with so much potential. Not to mention, his Sharingan would be endlessly useful. He just had to push the right buttons and the boy would come to him._

 _"You'll come to me when the time is right. If you want revenge against your brother, you'll seek me out. I can give you what you most desire. Power." Orochimaru said as he sunk his teeth into Sasuke's neck._

 _A Curse Mark. The Curse Mark would bind Sasuke to him. He'd become addicted to the power that it would give him and then the boy would be putty in his hands._

 _"AHHHH!" Sasuke snarled in agony as he sunk to the ground._

 _It was a pity that the Curse Mark was painful to administer. Such a shame, really. He might have only been twelve, but Sasuke was already showing signs of becoming a handsome man._

 _That would be a nice bonus. Having an attractive Vessel was a superficial consideration, but it was certainly nice to find one. After all, who didn't want to be viewed as attractive?_

"Orochimaru, are you alright?" Kabuto calls out in concern.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just interesting to note how deep our connections all go. It seems that every life may be a variation on the previous. Time might actually loop itself to a degree. Fascinating. Just fascinating." The elder man whispers to himself.

Sasuke had always been talented. That much was clear. Orochimaru wasn't exactly sure how their saga had ended in that life, but he was eager to find out. It might hold the key to helping him in this one.

Elsewhere Taka and Naruto were playing some video games. Suigetsu was currently battling Naruto for the high score. Both of them were racking up a lot of points.

"I don't get what boys see in video games. You're just doing the same stuff over and over again." Karin states.

"Karin, that was horribly sexist. There are plenty of women who enjoy gaming." Jugo points out.

Karin just rolls her eyes and Jugo chuckles. It was always amusing to see the red head pout. Though it would even more so, if she just got together with Suigetsu already.

"I know that there are some women who enjoy video games. I never said that there weren't. It's just that it's an obsession for a lot more men than it is for women." She retorts.

Jugo couldn't really argue with that logic. Certainly, Naruto and Suigetsu were having a grand ole time. It was a close match, but he was fairly confident that the violet eyed college student would eek out a narrow victory in this case.

That was probably a good thing. Suigetsu was still smarting about losing in basketball. Jugo was a fairly easygoing guy, but he was fully aware that his friends were highly competitive and sometimes that could be more than a little intimidating.

"That's a fair point." Jugo concedes.

"Speaking of obsession, shouldn't Sasuke be back by now? I know that Professor Creepy is all over him and stuff, but Kakashi went after him." Suigetsu asks.

Jugo frowns. Suigetsu was right. Sasuke should have been back by now. .That meant one of two things. The first was that Sasuke was still in the lab with Orochimaru and the second was that he had already left with Kakashi.

If it was the former, that likely wasn't a good thing. The gentle giant was growing increasingly uneasy about Sasuke's involvement in these experiments. He didn't think that it was a coincidence that Sasuke had a seizure, after signing up to be Orochimaru's Research Assistant.

"I can't lie. I'm starting to get a little worried too." Karin admits as she pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

If it was the latter, there was a slim chance that Sasuke was having the time of his life. Jugo was well aware of how much his friend adored his former History Professor and the feelings might be mutual. Well if body language was anything to go by, anyway.

"Yeah. Something is definitely up." Naruto agrees.

Their body language told a different story than their words for the most part. The way that Kakashi and Sasuke would stand just a little close to each other. The way their eyes were always seeking each other out. It was all quite romantic, if a little frustrating.

His best friend was in love and it was unlikely that Sasuke was going to act on his feelings anytime soon. That meant that it would fall to Kakashi to make the first move and Jugo wasn't sure that the History Professor ever would. Most likely, he hesitated to do so out of a sense of professionalism. After all, Sasuke had been his student and sleeping with your former student was highly unprofessional.

"Orochimaru's experiment are rather unorthodox. I'm surprised that the University even approved this type of research to be honest. To be honest, that worries me as much as Dr. Sannin's obsession with Sasuke." Jugo confesses.

"What do you mean by unorthodox. What's he up to?" The normally bubbly blonde demands.

Naruto wasn't bubbly at the moment though. He was far from it actually. The college student could transform into a lion in an instant when it came to protecting his friends. It was one of his most admirable qualities in Jugo's mind, really.

"Didn't you read the flyers that are hung up all over campus?" Karin demands.

"What? Nah. I don't really pay attention to that stuff. Why? What'd it say?" Naruto inquires.

"Essentially, Orochimaru was recruiting test subjects. He's trying to reactivate the chakra network. I'm certain that you've taken classes about ancient history. Back when people could use chakra to perform Jutsus? Well Dr. Sannin wants us to reclaim that ability." Jugo explains.

He could see that Sugietsu and Naruto were considering the implications of his words. While neither of them were on the path to becoming historians, they obviously knew what he was talking about and the potential implications of such work.

"That's really risky. Chakra networks haven't been active in centuries. Messing with them could be fatal. That's some freaky shit." Suigetsu mutters.

"Yeah. You're right! I can't believe that they actually approved that. I wonder how Orochimaru talked them into it!" Naruto exclaims.

"It doesn't really matter how he talked them into it. What matters is that he did and Sasuke might be in trouble." Karin reasons.

Sadly, Jugo couldn't disagree with her. The only question that remained was what could they do about it? How could they protect their friend from these sick experiments?

"Well I say that we go and watch the place. Bug it or something." Sugietsu suggests.

"Bug it? That's a great idea! I know exactly who to ask for help!" Naruto says excitedly.

Jugo tilts his head curiously. He didn't know who the sapphire eyed college student had in mind, but it sounded like Naruto might have a plan. Which was a damn good thing because Jugo certainly didn't.

"Who do you have in mind?" Karin asks gently.

"Shino of course! He's really good at all that techie stuff!" Naruto says with a grin.

Back at Kakashi's home, the silver haired man sighs as he holds Sasuke tightly against him. He had had another flashback. This one must have been a particularly bad one, judging by his reaction.

"Mmm you're always taking care of me." Sasuke whispers.

"Well of course. I love you. It's only natural that I would take care of you. I'm not certain why that would surprise you." Kakashi chides him gently as he helps Sasuke onto the bed.

"Not just that. You did the same thing in my other life." Sasuke murmurs sleepily.

Whatever he had seen had taken a lot out of him. It was quite possible that Sasuke might actually fall asleep. Kakashi couldn't quite suppress the feeling of rage at that knowledge. The knowledge that Orochimaru had hurt Sasuke.

Naturally, it had been unintentional. Kakashi knew that. Orochimaru wouldn't deliberately set out to physically harm Sasuke. He was far too obsessed with his demented fantasies about winning the younger man's love to do something like that. That didn't meant that Kakashi was any less furious about the situation though.

"That's rather romantic in a way. I've never really given the idea of reincarnation much thought before Orochimaru started his twisted little experiments, but obviously it's something that really happens. At least some of the time. Knowing that, I'd like to think that soul mates find each other in all their lives." He says with a smile.

"Mmm. I really wish that I wasn't so sleepy and that you weren't still getting over your serum dosage. If that isn't a romantic invitation to make good use of that hot tub, I don't know what is." Sasuke says with a yawn as he snuggles further into Kakashi.

It was adorable. The way that Sasuke would cuddle up to him. It reminded Kakashi of a contented housecat, if he was being completely honest.

Though he doubted that Sasuke would appreciate that comparison. Actually, his little Hellcat would be furious about it. Kakashi knew that, but facts were facts.

"At your age, everything is an invitation to make good use of a hot tub." Kakashi says with a chuckle.

"Mmm. Stop pretending like you're that much older or that you don't want the same thing that I do." Sasuke retorts smugly.

It was amazing, really. It was amazing how Sasuke could be half asleep and still manage to sound so smug. Truly, that took talent. Idly, Kakashi decides that it such an ability simply must be an Uchiha Thing.

"Mmm. I won't deny that. I'm not exactly ready for the retirement home yet, but I must admit there is something to be said for the vigor of youth." He teases him.

"Mmm. Now you sound like Guy. You really should stop that. It's killing my mood. The fact that a man his age would wear green spandex is highly disturbing." Sasuke grumbles.

"Yes, I have tried to talk him out of wearing that. I've only had mild success here and there though." The silver haired man admits with a dramatic defeated sigh.

Kakashi decides that he might as well put on a good show for Sasuke. The least that he could do for the other man was keep him entertained, if he couldn't chase Sasuke's inner demons away. Inner demons that apparently had haunted him in at least two lifetimes at that!

"It's a start. Can't expect you to work miracles." Sasuke mumbles between yawns.

If only he had worked miracles, Sasuke never would have been in this position. He wouldn't be working as Orochimaru's lab assistant in this life. He wouldn't have had a seizure and they would have already been together for years.

That wasn't even taking into consideration his other life. Sasuke had said that Kakashi always protected him, but that obviously wasn't the case. He never would have gone to Orochimaru, if he had protected him.

"I suppose not, but I'll be sure to try my damnest to from now on. You deserve nothing less." He whispers as he places a kiss to Sasuke's temple.

"Who knew that you were such a sweet talker? I guess reading all those erotic novels must have come in handy. You picked up some good lines." Sasuke observes with mirth dancing in his eyes.

"Oh these aren't lines from novels. These are lines straight from my heart. These are 100% purely Kakashi." The History Professor informs him.

Sasuke smiles and the silver haired man feels his heart melt. The med student had always had a beautiful smile. That was one of his most attractive features really (and that was certainly saying something because the Uchiha had a lot of attractive features).

"Good. I like 100% Kakashi lines better than generic knock offs." Sasuke informs him with a smirk.

"Now who is the sweet talker?" Kakashi replies with a smirk of his own.

"I guess I am. You must be rubbing off on me. Goodnight, Kakashi." Sasuke says as he closes his eyes and he soon falls asleep.

Kakashi sighs as he watches the other man sleep. He looked so peaceful. The History Professor didn't have the heart to wake him. Though at that moment, he made himself a promise. He wouldn't let it happen again.

"Not this time. I won't let Orochimaru get his hooks into you this time." He whispers as he turns off the lights and soon joins Sasuke in the Land of Dreams.


	10. Chapter 10

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 10

The next day, Sasuke heads to the lab. He hated going there. He hated giving Orochimaru what he wanted, but at the moment there was no other choice.

"I want my chakra pathways measured. That's what this experiment was supposed to be about anyway, wasn't it? It'll give you a good baseline to see what a normal chakra network looks like." Sasuke says.

Kakashi was teaching a class. That meant that his boyfriend wouldn't see what he was about to do. Which was a good thing for Sasuke because he knew that the History Professor would try to talk him out of it.

Not that the Uchiha could blame Kakashi. What he was doing was foolish and reckless, but it was also necessary. He shouldn't be having visions from his past life anymore. The serum should have filtered out of his system by now.

"That's a very good point. Though I am surprised hat you are being so reasonable today. Pleasantly surprised, of course." Orochimaru says as he hooks up the machine that would measure Sasuke's chakra pathways.

"I don't like you. I don't want you meddling with my personal life, but this is bigger than petty differences. This type of research could truly change everything. It potentially could save millions of people's lives. I'm not petty enough to let my personal revulsion towards you stop me from working on this project." The raven haired man retorts.

In reality, Sasuke hadn't wanted to step foot inside this place again. He knew that he had to though. God only knows what Orochimaru had shot Kakashi up with and how long he had been exposed to the serum himself. The med student had to find out what was in that stuff and what the long-term effects were going to be. It was as simple as that.

"You really should be nicer to Dr. Sannin. He has given you an amazing opportunity. As you said yourself, this is groundbreaking research. You could really make a name for yourself, if this is successful. Would it kill you to show a little gratitude?" Kabuto hisses at him.

Sasuke rolls his eyes in response to Orochimaru's lapdog. Why should he show respect to the man who had almost poisoned his boyfriend? Hell would freeze over before the Uchiha would become another good little lapdog for the Medical Research like Four Eyes had.

"He tried to poison Kakashi. He doesn't deserve my respect. You freak. He's lucky that we didn't report him to the police." Sasuke hisses at him.

"Now, now. There is no need for that. Kakashi signed a form that said he wouldn't hold me liable for any unpleasant side effects of the experiment." Orochiamru says with a smirk.

"Does that include death?! Because you could have killed him!" The graduate student rages at him.

He knew that he should keep his temper. Sasuke should be smarter about this, but he just couldn't. Not when it involved Kakashi.

Kakashi had always brought out strong emotions in him. Sasuke hadn't known why at first, but he did know. They were connected in this life and the previous one and he damn sure wasn't going to allow Orochimaru to break that connection!

"I wasn't trying to kill him, Sasuke. Don't be ridiculous. I merely wanted to see what the serum would do when administered in a higher dosage." The other man replies.

Sasuke glares at Dr. Sannin. He wasn't dumb enough to fall for that and Orochimaru damn well knew it. Why he insisted on insulting both of their intelligence, he didn't know.

"Whatever you say, Doctor." He hisses back at him.

The word doctor was dripping with venom. If nothing else, the Uchiha wanted Orochimaru to know just how much he utterly despised him. His little obsession wasn't going to go anywhere.

"You weren't nearly this uncooperative in your past life. Though I suppose you had more motivation back then to be a good boy. Tell me Sasuke, what have you seen in your past life so far?" Orochimaru asks as he glances at the machine that was displaying Sasuke's chakra pathways like an x-ray result.

"It's a blur mostly. Jumbled images. A lot of fighting. I think I was a ninja." Sasuke says.

He had to give Dr. Sannin something. If he wanted to stay part of this experiment, Sasuke knew that he would have to participate to a certain extent. Though he would be damned, if he told the snake anything personal!

"That's normal at first. Well at least in my experience. The same thing happened to me." Kabuto assures him.

"Good to know." Sasuke mutters as he glances at the results.

On one side, there was a picture of a normal chakra system. The pathways were hard to see, even with his keen eyes. On the other side, there was a picture of his chakra system. His pathways were…not as small.

In fact, they were significantly bigger. Sasuke didn't think that it would be an exaggeration to say that they were at least twice of the size of an average person's. The serum must have enlarged them.

"Well it seems that your pathways are growing. That's a good sign. At the moment, I'm uncertain that you can currently use chakra. Though it is certainly a promising start." Orochimaru murmurs thoughtfully.

His chakra pathways were widening. That much was obvious. Though would they continue to do so, even after he was no longer being exposed?

That was the million dollar question and Sasuke didn't have a good answer for it. He shouldn't be getting more memories back without further exposure, but he was. Had a tipping point been reached?

"Yes, I suppose so. Has anyone else had their pathways widened?" Sasuke demands.

"Kabuto's pathways have been widened by about 25%. Though yours are widening at an exceptional pace. I wonder if it has something to do with a test subject's physical fitness. Kabuto has always been more of an academic and you are quite athletic." The medical research ponders out loud.

Sasuke smirks. Orochimaru may not have meant it the way that it came out, but he had essentially admitted that the Uchiha was stronger than his sidekick. There was something rather satisfying about that.

"It could be any number of factors. I don't see why we should jump to that conclusion, so quickly." The bespectacled man retorts.

"That's true. Well Sasuke, would you like an injection?" Orochimaru asks.

Sasuke frowns as he considers it. He should say no. The med student knew that he should, but he knew what would happen if he did.

Orochimaru might decide he wasn't worth the hassle. He didn't really have a choice. Kakashi was so going to kill him.

"I suppose one injection wouldn't hurt." He mutters.

Meanwhile Kakashi was in class. He was in class and having a very difficult time concentrating. That was all thanks to the fact that he had landed himself quite the attractive boyfriend who was apparently rather eager to please.

"Professor Kakashi?" One of his students asks.

He didn't hear it though. The silver haired teacher was far too focused on thinking about what he could do with said boyfriend, now that he was feeling better. He had a lot of fantasies to live out.

"Professor Kakashi?" The student asks again.

Of course, he wasn't complete animal. He did intend to wine and dine the other man. He'd take him out to dinner and things like that.

Kakashi imagined that Sasukse preferred red wine. It seemed like something the other man would like A sensual and sophisticated classic that didn't put on too many airs, but still was slightly smug.

"Professor Kakashi!" The frustrated freshmen yells at him.

"Konohamaru! There is no need to yell like that. What did you want?!" He grumbles in annoyance.

That's when it became rather apparent than Kakashi must have spaced out as the kids said these days. Apparently, Konohmaru had been calling his name for the last five minutes. That was embarrassing.

"I wanted to know, if the bibliography counted towards the four page paper you want us to do." The young man grumbles.

"Oh right. Of course. That does count towards the four pages. Yes." Kakashi says as he waves off the energetic student's question.

Damn. Sasuke was really going to be the death of him. He already couldn't focus on his classes. He really needed to see him as quickly as possible.

When the bell rang, Kakashi sighs and sends a text to Sasuke. He figured that he should at least try to do this the proper way. Dinner at a fancy restaurant seemed like a good start.

 _ **Sasuke, where are you and are you free tonight? ~ Kakashi.**_

He didn't like the way that it took Sasuke awhile to answer him. It felt like an eternity, but in reality it had only been five minutes. The silver haired man knew this by the timestamps.

 **I'm at the lab. Sorry. I have to keep up appearances. I'm just finishing up here. So yeah. Dinner sounds great. Where should I meet you? ~ Sasuke.**

He knew that it wasn't fair, but Sasuke's text did infuriate him. Kakashi knew that Sasuke was only trying to make sure that Orochimaru didn't end up hurting anyone with his sick experiments, but it was still irritating. Mostly because he was concerned for his future lover's safety, but also because it was obvious that Dr. Sannin's feelings for the young man were far from platonic.

 _ **I'll head over to the lab. You can just wait there for me. I should be able to pick you up in about five minutes. Think that you can defend your virtue against that cretin for that long? ~ Kakashi.**_

The fact that Orochimaru's obsession with Sasuke had carried over into his next life was even more troubling though. That meant that it wasn't just a casual attraction. It was a dangerous fixation.

One that made Kakashi want to break every bone in Orochimaru's body or turn him into an eunuch. As much as the History Professor was loathed to admit it, Itachi had come up with a good threat. He was going to have to use that one more in the future.

 **Are you really jealous of that fossil? ~ Sasuke.**

Jealous? He was not jealous! Kakashi was fully aware that Sasuke wasn't even the slightest bit attracted to the much older professor.

Granted, he was older than his boyfriend. He was significantly older, but he hadn't completely veered off into May-December Romance. That just wasn't his style.

 _ **I'm not jealous of him. I just want to know, if you can fend him off that long. ~ Kakashi.**_

 **You sound pretty jealous to me, but yeah. I'll be fine. I can't wait to see you. I've been thinking about you all day. ~ Sasuke.**

That Uchiha didn't play fair. Sasuke definitely didn't play fair. Taunting him about being jealous and then winding him up with that comment. He was fighting dirty and they both knew it.

 _ **Same here. I'll be there in a few. ~ Kakashi.**_

The History Professor didn't think that he had ever traveled halfway across campus so fast before. Sasuke was alone with Orochimaru which was bad. Sasuke was also taunting him in ways that were driving him crazy. That was also bad, but in a good way. Both of those factors contributed heavily to his newfound speed.

Not that he had ever been slow. Kakashi had once been a track star in high school. Still this was a record, even for him. It was quite impressive really. Maybe, he should have tried out for the Olympics.

"Ah Sasuke, it looks like your boyfriend is here." Orochimaru taunts him, a few minutes later as Kakashi walks down the hallway.

"Yes, he is. It's not surprising that you recognize him though. I mean you did almost poison him last time." Sasuke glares at Orochimaru hatefully.

"Sasuke, are you ready to leave Orochimaru's Lab of Horrors?" The silver haired man asks with fake cheerfulness.

Sasuke practically winces at the tone. Oh yeah. His boyfriend was not happy about him still being involved in the experiments, but they were in this together and Kakashi was just going to have to deal with that fact.

"Yeah. Believe me, I'm beyond ready." Sasuke says with a smirk as he heads off with Kakashi.

"This is getting rather irritating." Orochimaru mutters under his breath, but Sasuke hears it.

He knew that it was a childish impulse, but the Uchiha couldn't resist. He flips the other man off. After all, the bastard deserved that and more.

In a decent world, Dr. Sannin would already be in jail for what he'd done. Unfortunately, this wasn't a decent world and so Sasuke had to settle for making a rude gesture at him.

"Sasuke, did you really just flip him off?" Kakashi asks in amusement.

"Maybe. Oh come on. You aren't honestly going to lecture me about that, are you? You have to admit that he deserved it." Sasuke retorts.

Before Sasuke knew what was happening, Kakashi pushes him against a wall and captures his lips with his own. Sasuke gives him a confused look for a moment, but then decides to go with it. Why ask stupid questions like why was Kakashi kissing him, when he could focus on how well the other man was kissing him?

"I'm sorry. It was just adorable. You're adorable when you act like a sulking kitten." The History Professor answers Sasuke's unspoken question.

"I'm not acting like a sulking kitten!" Sasuke hisses at him.

"Yes, you are. You even hiss like one." Kakashi observes with a chuckle and Sasuke twitches with righteous indignation in response.

Was that really how Kakashi saw him? He saw him as a cute kitten that he liked to play with? Fuck that! He was a tiger and Sasuke was so going to prove that to the handsome teacher!

"I am not a kitten. How about we forget the dinner and just go back to your place? I can prove to you how very much unkittenlike I am." Sasuke purrs dangerously into his ear.

"Mmm well how can I resist such a kind invitation like that?" Kakashi asks.

"You can't. That's the point." The Uchiha replies smugly as the two walk back towards Kakashi's home, hand in hand.

Elsewhere Itachi was in the Dean's Office of Sasuke's University. This had gone on quite long enough. He wasn't going to stand for it, anymore.

"Are you aware that Dr. Sannin is conducting experiments on humans with a foreign substance that resulted in my brother getting a seizure?" He demands.

Tsunade's eyes widen. A seizure? Sasuke was a perfectly healthy young man though. Men like Sasuke didn't generally go around and randomly get seizures.

"Are you sure that's what caused it?" She asks.

"I don't have proof, but I know that Orochimaru has been injecting some kind of serum into his test subjects. Shortly after my brother signed up to be his lab assistant, Sasuke got his first seizure in his entire life. Do you think those two things are mere coincidences?" He growls at her.

The busty blonde blinks and Itachi sighs in satisfaction. Good. The woman knew that something was wrong with this picture.

"Well unless Sasuke is willing to release the results of the blood work that he undoubtedly had done after his seizure, we have no proof. I did authorize the experiment, but only to explore the possibility of reopening chakra networks. I never meant for anyone to get hurt." She whispers.

Itachi sighs and nods sympathetically. He believed her. There was a certain sincerity in her voice that was almost impossible to fake. That still didn't answer the most important question of all though.

What were they going to do about this? Ideally, the Dean would yank his funding. Sadly, that seemed unlikely. Orochimaru's project was partially funded by the government. If the University pulled his funding, the government would probably pick up the rest of the tab.

"I understand that. Do I have your permission to speak with Rasengan News? My foolish little brother is friends with the son of Minato Namikaze. If I pulled a few strings, I'm certain that they would send an investigative reporter here." The Uchiha suggests.

"That's brilliant! Orochimaru would probably speak with the reporter willingly. God knows that man has always been hungry for fame." The Dean replies.

Itachi nods in agreement. That much was true. Orochimaru's ambitions truly knew no bounds. It was more than a little frightening, really.

"Good. I'll give the station a call and see, if I can't get them to send someone over." The doctor assures her.

"Wonderful. Please do keep me briefed on the situation." Tsuande pleads with him.

"Don't worry. I most assuredly will." The elder Uchiha Brother assures her and with that, he heads off to call the Rasengan News Station.

Meanwhile Sasuke and Kakashi had made it back to the History Professor's place. The younger Uchiha Brother was getting quite familiar with it. It was starting to feel like a second home.

"You know, it's really not an insult to be called a kitten. Most people would view it as a compliment. There are very few people who don't adore them." Kakashi points out with a chuckle.

"There are worse things to be called. I know that, but I'm still not some cute little furball." Sasuke grumbles as he pushes Kakashi onto the couch and straddles his lap.

The fact that his boyfriend was just giving him an amused look further spurred him on. He was so not some cute little domesticated feline. Once again, he was an Uchiha. He was a tiger. Thank you, very much!

"Mmm I don't know. You are rather cute. Though the little is obviously wrong." The other man concedes in an effort to placate him.

"That's a start. Now, we'll just have to work on the other parts." Sasuke purrs dangerously in his ear.

He knew that he could do this. Sasuke would simply have to prove to Kakashi that he was someone who should be taken seriously. Both inside and outside the bedroom.

"Mmm I look forward to you trying to prove me wrong, but I doubt you will. Then again, you were always so stubborn." Kakashi murmurs as if suddenly in a daze.

 _Team Seven had only been operational for a few months, but in that time Kakashi had learned a few important facts about his team. As was the natural order of things in the Leaf Village, a love triangle had formed on his squad. Well sorta._

 _Naruto adored Sakura. Sakura liked Sasuke and well, Sasuke was Sasuke. He didn't appear to like anyone really. Though that was only to be expected. The boy was still suffering from a horrible trauma that the silver haired man wasn't sure that he would ever recover from._

 _"I can so out eat you, you bastard!" Naruto exclaimed._

 _"Pft. Dream on, loser." Sasuke thundered right back at him._

 _The boys were probably on their seventh or was it eighth bowl of rice? At some point, Naruto had challenged Sasuke to an eating contest. Whoever could eat the most food, would win._

 _What the boys were gambling, Kakashi didn't now. Though he suspected that there wasn't an official prize. It was just a matter of pride._

 _"Sasuke! Naruto! You're going to make yourselves sick!" Sakura cried out fretfully._

 _Kakashi couldn't really disagree with that assessment. It already looked like both boys were on the verge of throwing up. Maybe, he should step in._

 _"Alright. Don't you boys think that you've had enough to eat? Sakura is right. You're both going to make yourselves sick." Kakashi warned them._

 _"No way! I'm going to beat this bastard!" The blonde protested._

 _"Whatever. You're still going to lose. You should just take the out that Kakashi offered for you." Sasuke said with a smirk._

Some things would never change, Kakashi thinks to himself in the present. Sasuke was still just as stubborn today as he had been in his previous life. It was amazing.

He couldn't help but wonder, if that was the case for all of a person's lives. Were the core personality traits always the same? How big a role did the circumstances of a person's life play in their personality and how much was just innate?

"Mmm you don't seem to mind my stubbornness all that much. After all, you're my boyfriend now." Sasuke whispers as he kisses him.

Kakashi smiles into the kiss as he returns it. Alright. The Uchiha did raise a good point there. Most of the time, the silver haired man really didn't mind Sasuke's stubbornness.

Though there were times, when it made him want to pull out his hair in frustration. For instance, when it came to Orochimaru. Kakashi would very much like Sasuke to remove himself from Dr. Sannin's twisted little experiments. Unfortunately, that didn't look like it was going to happen anytime soon.

"Mmm most of the time, I find it rather endearing." He admits between heated kisses.

Sasuke was an excellent kisser. Kakashi should know. He had a lot of experience with kissing. To him, kissing was something of a fine art.

Some people were naturally gifted at it. Others had to master it over the years. There were some people who were both gifted and mastered it. Oh and there were also completely hopeless cases. (The History Professor suspected Orochimaru fell into that last camp).

"I can live with endearing. Though I was hoping for sexier adjectives." Sauke mutters.

"Mmm. Trust me, you are very sexy. You don't have to worry about that." Kakashi assures him as he caresses his cheek and Sasuke smiles in return.

Had it always been this way? So far, Kakashi had only seen Sasuke as a child in their other lives. Presumably, the other man had reached adulthood at some point though.

Was it possible that his attraction to the Uchiha in his arms had actually spanned two lifetimes or was this a new development? Kakashi didn't know. He wasn't sure that it mattered, but he was curious.

"Mmm good. So does this mean that we can use the hot tub? You seem to be feeling better." Sasuke teases him.

"Well I am feeling better. You know what? Go turn it on. I'll be there in a minute." He says, after pondering the matter for a moment.

"Alright. Don't keep me waiting. You already did that for years and it was not fun." Sasuke mutters as he heads off towards the hot tub.

Oh Kakashi definitely wasn't going to keep the med student waiting anymore. He just wanted to be sure that he had everything that they needed to ensure that their first time together was a pleasurable one. With that in mind, he grabs the necessary items and follows Sasuke to the hot tub.


	11. Chapter 11

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 11

Finally! Sasuke couldn't believe that it was finally happening. He was finally going to get out the chance to live out a few of the more taboo fantasies that he had had since starting college!

"You look like a kid that managed to find the Christmas Presents early." Kakashi chuckles as he follows Sasuke.

Well that was a rather apt analogy. He wasn't a child anymore and he was going to prove that to Kakashi, but he couldn't wait to unwrap his presents. So yeah. It was fairly accurate.

"Lose the kid part of that and you're on the right track." Sasuke says as he pulls Kakashi down for a heated kiss.

He smiles when he feels Kakashi return the kiss. The Uchiha decides that it was in his best interest not to give the hot history teacher a chance to change his mind. Sasuke didn't think that was too likely at the moment, but he definitely wasn't going to push his luck.

"You're afraid that I'll decide to do the proper thing and stop this before it escalates further." Kakashi says between kisses.

"Did the serum give you mind reading powers or something?" Sasuke asks as he blinks up at him with confusion dancing in his obsidian orbs.

He didn't know whether to think that was the coolest thing ever or to be terrified. If his chakra pathways were widening, then Kakashi's might be as well too. Who knew what sort of abilities the other man had had in his previous life?

"No. Nothing like that. It's just that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they kiss." Kakashi says as he caresses his cheek.

"Oh. Well what can you tell about me?" Sasuke says, suddenly feeling bit relieved and more than a little curious.

Kiss Psychology. That was a new one. He wondered what other tricks Kakashi had up his sleeve.

"I could taste a bit of desperation in your kiss. You were trying to distract me from changing my mind. You're a very sensual person. You're a bit cautious by nature. You like to control your environment completely because of that that. That means you're a bit of a perfectionist and rather skilled with your tongue. Though in reality, you're more submissive than you'd ever really care to admit. What you really want is to feel secure and to be cherished." Kakashi murmurs.

"Most of that is accurate, except for the submissive part." Sasuke says as he tugs off Kakashi's shirt.

It should be illegal for Kakashi to walk around with a shirt on. He'd seen him shirtless at the lake before, but it had been awhile. Yeah. He liked shirtless Kakashi. He liked him a lot actually.

"Mmm I suppose that we'll see. If you're going to stare like that, you should probably take a picture. It will last longer that way." Kakashi teases him as he reaches for the zipper of Sasuke's pants.

Sasuke blinks. Would Kakashi actually let him take those kinds of pictures with him? That would fun, but he didn't think that the History Professor would agree to something like that.

"Are you serious about the picture thing? That's an option?" Sasuke says as he runs his hands the delicious creamy skin that was currently presented to him.

"Sasuke, for you everything is an option." Kakashi informs him.

 **Warning Lemon**

"Everything, huh?" Sasuke asks with a smirk as he tugs off Kakashi's pants.

He liked the sound of that. Though at the moment, he was a bit spoiled for choice. There were so many things that he wanted to do. The raven haired man just didn't know where to start.

"Yes, everything. At the moment you look like the dog that caught the truck and doesn't know what to do with it. That's alright though. There's something to be said for experience." Kakashi states as he unzips Sasuke's pants and quickly slides them off.

Sasuke blinks. Kakashi was good at this whole stripping people thing. That was fast.

He feels his face heat up slightly. It wasn't that he was shy about his body. It was just that this was Kakashi. He didn't want to fall short of whatever the other man might have imagined.

"You and your animal analogies." Sasuke grumbles.

"You can't deny they're accurate anymore than I can deny you're beautiful." Kakashi tells him as tugs off Sasuke's shirt and boxers.

Sasuke smiles and kisses him. Well he supposed that he could tolerate being compared to cute furry animals as long as his boyfriend said stuff like that to him. He could tolerate a lot of thing as long as Kakashi said stuff like that to him, really.

"Mmm can't deny that last part. The feeling is mutual by the way. You're beautiful too." Sasuke assures him as the two men get into the hot tub.

The hot water felt great against his skin, but the view was even better. That's when he notices what Kakashi had grabbed. Smart Kakashi. He already got the lubrication.

Wait. Was that a blindfold? That couldn't seriously be a blindfold. There was no way in Hell that Sasuke was wearing that.

"Thank you. Just relax. I've thought about this a lot. Now, be a good Sasuke and let someone take care of you. Let me take care of you." Kakashi whispers seductively against his ear.

Sasuke feels himself shiver. The warmth of his breath on his ear and the feeling of his lips brushing against him was highly erotic. Though he still wasn't too sure about that whole blindfold thing.

"What if I don't want to be a good Sasuke? I think you like it better when I'm a bad Sasuke. That and I really hope that blindfold is for you. I'm not wearing it." He says firmly.

"Well that's true. I do like it when you're bad, but the reverse is true. Yes, the blindfold is for you. Do you trust me?" He asks.

"I trust you. I trust you completely. It's the blindfold that I'm not so sure about." The Uchiha retorts.

Kakashi chuckles. He knew that Sasuke was probably going to put up a fight about this particular kink. That was alright though. His kitten just needed a bit of coaxing.

"Perhaps, a preview might help you relax." Kakashi says with a smirk as he kisses him.

He smiles when he feels Sasuke kiss back and then breaks it. For someone like Sasuke, not being able to see what was going on was probably a frightening prospect. Though in the long-run, he knew that the other man would enjoy the results.

"A preview?" The Uchiha asks a bit warily.

"Trust me, you'll like this one." Kakashi assures him as he has Sasuke sit on the edge of the hot tub and slowly wraps his mouth around the tip of the other man's arousal.

Just like that, all of Sasuke's rational thoughts went out the window. God, that felt good. It felt incredible and Kakashi had only just started. The feeling of the history teacher's hot mouth wrapped around his cock was amazing.

"D-definitely, like this." Sasuke pants out in agreement as he struggles not to thrust into that wonderfully wicked mouth and half choke his partner.

Sasuke reaches down as Kakashi licks and sucks on the sensitive flesh. He reaches down and takes the silver haired man into his hand and strokes him. Sasuke couldn't help, but smirk when he hears Kakashi groan in response. That was good. At least he wasn't the only one that was getting worked up.

"I should have known you would be sneaky." Kakashi murmurs around his cock as he sucks harder.

The feeling of Kakashi's lips and tongue wrapped around him made Sasuke want to scream in ecstasy. It was a damn miracle that didn't. Though a few strangled moans did escape.

"Mmm are you complaining about me playing with you?" The raven haired man pants out.

"Never, Sasuke. Never." Kakashi assures him as he grazes his teeth ever so gently over the other man's arousal.

To say the least, Sasuke was well endowed. Kakashi had expected that though. There had to be a reason why he was so damn cocky. A damn good reason, apparently.

Perhaps not surprisingly, he tasted salty. That was fine with him though. He liked salt and he loved the sexy moans that were coming out of Sasuke's mouth at the moment.

"God, that feels so fucking good." Sasuke moans as he strokes Kakashi faster.

If Sasuke's talented hands weren't enough to send white hot lust racing through his veins, then those moans would have done it. Kakashi was like most men in his mind. He loved sex. Being with Sasuke though, took it to another level that Kakashi hadn't even been aware existed before.

The fact that they were both soaking wet with warm water, only further heightened the exoticism. There was something almost ethereal about the way the water droplets would cling to Sasuke's ivory skin and slowly slide down his body. Beautiful and sensual.

"It's supposed to. Where did you get so good at this?" Kakashi demands as he sucks harder on Sasuke's arousal.

It was irrational to be jealous and he knew that. Still he couldn't help it. He'd never been very rational when it came to Sasuke and the thought of the Uchiha practicing his sensual techniques on someone else, well that made him want to punch the lucky recipient of Sasuke's practicing.

"Fuck!" Sasuke hisses in pleasure as he came hard and fast.

It was way too much for him. The feeling of Kakashi's mouth around him. The way that he would look up at him as he sucked him off and maybe most of all, the jealousy that he could clearly hear in the other other's voice as he asked that.

"Yes, Sasuke. That's exactly what we're going to do. Though you still haven't answered my question." Kakashi reprimands him.

"Kakashi, I'm not THAT innocent. You're not the first man I've been with. Mostly though, I refined my technique on myself." Sasuke answers him.

It was exciting, but he felt a bit wary. Kakashi was apparently feeling rather possessive. Which was normally just fine with Sasuke, but he didn't want the History Professor to track down the few exes that he had and give them an earful.

"How many? I know it's rather hypocritical. I've had a few partners myself, but not recently. I prefer quality over quantity though." Kakashi tells him as he wraps the blindfold around his eyes.

Sasuke shivers at the silky texture of the blindfold against his skin. That and the tone of his almost lover's voice. Damn. Possessive Kakashi was hot.

"Two. Which is probably about ten less than the average graduate student." He answers honestly.

Lying to Kakashi about that sort of thing wasn't a good way to start off a relationship. That and the Uchiha was pretty sure that somehow the other man would find out. It was better to be honest.

"You really think your peers are that promiscuous?" Kakashi asks with a quiet laugh.

"Have talked to any of them? Yeah. I do. Doesn't matter though. They don't matter. All that matters is me and you." Sasuke tells him.

That was right. He'd been foolish to be envious of lovers who for one reason or another, weren't with Sasuke anymore. With that thought in mind, Kakashi coats his fingers rather generously in the lubrication and distracts Sasuke with a trail of kisses along the pale column of his throat.

He knew Sasuke. If the med student knew what was coming, he would have tensed up. That was one reason for the blindfold. He didn't want his lover to tense up and cause himself unnecessary pain. This was about pleasure. Not pain.

"Mmm. S-so what's with the blindfold fetish?" Sasuke murmurs in contentment as he tilts his head to the side, exposing more of his neck to the affectionate kisses.

"I don't know, if I would really call it a fetish. There are some benefits to it. When you're deprived of one of your senses, the others compensate. Your sense of smell, taste, hearing, and touch will all be stronger now. It's mostly hearing and touch that I'm interested in at the moment though." Kakashi says as he strokes Sasuke with one hand.

Sasuke groans and bucks into the erotic touches and arches as his lover kisses his neck more. Cheater. He knew that he was sensitive there and damn it! He could feel Kakashi's teeth sinking into his skin.

He had a bit of a biting fetish. Not never enough to break the skin, but enough to feel that your lover really wanted you. Kakashi had apparently figured that out and was going to use it to his advantage.

"Mmm. This makes it hard for me to make you feel good though." Sasuke says as he pumps Kakashi in his hand rather determinedly.

"Believe me, Sasuke. Just looking at you completely naked and at my mercy in this hot tub makes me feel **_very_** good." The History Professor whispers dangerously into his ear and nibbles as he stops teasing Sasuke's arousal with his hand and slides it over Sasuke's chest and arms suggestively.

"G-glad to hear it." The raven haired man stammers out and with that, Kakashi slides a single finger inside him.

His reaction was immediate. Sasuke tenses and jerks back against him. His kitten was a lot more innocent than him. While Sasuke wasn't a blushing virgin, he doubted that the Uchiha had bottomed before.

"Relax. You know that I love you. I wouldn't hurt you. Not on purpose. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but I promise that it'll feel very good soon." He whispers soothingly as he takes Sasuke back into his hand and caresses the erection to distract him.

"I love you too." Sasuke says as he arches into Kakashi's talented touch.

"Good then let me take care of you. You don't need to worry about anything." He says as he continues stretching Sasuke, adding a second finger.

Damn it. He was going to bottom. He'd never done that before, but it was Kakashi. He probably should have seen this one coming. Of course, the teacher was going to want to take the reigns.

Well at least Kakashi knew what he was doing. He was taking his time. Maybe, it was alright. This once. Though Kakashi was definitely going to owe him some sexy pictures later!

"You so owe me for this later." Sasuke pants out as he squirms back against Kakashi due to the necking.

That always felt so fucking good. Sasuke still didn't know why his neck was THAT sensitive, but there was really no point in pondering such things he supposed. That's when Kakashi's fingers brush up against a spot that made Sasuke see stars.

"Fuck yes!" He moans out and Sasuke arches in pleasure.

"Mmm. So I think we found your spot. Good." Kakashi muses and with that, he began to pump his fingers in and out of Sasuke quickly.

Each time, he made sure to touch THAT spot inside him. Maybe, bottoming wasn't that bad. Now and then. As long as it felt like this, Sasuke could deal with his slightly damaged pride.

"Good Sasuke. I think you're ready. I'll just take that blindfold off and you can climb into my lap like a good sex kitten." Kakashi says as he undoes the blindfold and removes his fingers.

"You did not just call me a sex kitten." Sasuke grumbles and with that, he slides into the older man's lap.

There was something really beautiful about seeing a soaking wet Kakashi and feeling the warm water surround them as he sat in his beloved's lap. Not to mention occasionally the jets of water would brush up against his skin in a way that felt so good.

The water only came up to their waist. So the contrast between the cold air and hot water was even more erotic. Though he pushes those thoughts to the back of his mind. He was so going to prove to Kakashi that he wasn't a sex kitten!

"Yes, I did. It's a compliment, Sasuke. Truly." Kakashi assures him.

"Oh yeah?! I'll show you who is not a kitten." Sasuke growls at him as he slides onto Kakashi in one fell swoop.

The combination of pleasure and pain that resulted from the motion was almost dizzying. He probably shouldn't have done that. He should have gone slower, but he was not a kitten. He was a tiger dammit!

"Sasuke!" Kakashi cries outs in pleasure and alarm.

He was so damn stubborn. Stubborn and glorious. It was glorious the way that the skittish kitten had suddenly decided just to take what he wanted.

"I told you that I wasn't a kitten. Now are you going to keep talking or are you going to play with me?" Sasuke asks as he tries to stubborn through the slight stinging sensation.

"Mmm as I said, everything is an option for you." Kakashi whispers as he kisses him hotly and thrusts into his new lover.

Sasuke was hot and tight. Almost impossible tight. He really should have done this sooner. Suddenly, his desk seemed like such a more appealing option. He could bend Sasuke over it and now that he knew he was willing, well there were a lot of options that they could explore together.

"T-that's better!" Sasuke pants out as he rolls his hips and tries to ride Kakashi.

Kakashi groans in pure bliss and places his hands on Sasuke's hips. The older man guides him to ride him at a smoother pain. The raven haired man had always been a fast learner and Kakashi was pleased to see that sex was no exception to this trait when the Uchiha begins to move in time with him.

The way the water would splash them as they made love was sensual and primal. He loved the way that it made Sasuke's normally spiky locks, flat and the way the water would slide down his back and over the curve of his ass. Just beautiful.

"Much better." Kakashi agrees between kisses as their tongues duel for control.

The two of them begin to move as one and Sasuke moans in pure bliss. The feeling of being this close to Kakashi was better than anything else. With every thrust, he could feel his own release spiraling closer and judging by Kakashi's moans, he wasn't far behind.

If nothing else, Sasuke figures that he can at least control the kiss. Well he tried to anyway. He got distracted by the splashing hot water and the feeling of Kakashi deep inside him. He moans and that's when his lover takes control of the kiss as he slams into him again and again.

"I'm close!" Sasuke growls out in pleasure as he breaks the kiss and leaves a series of possessive lovebites along the other man's shoulder.

"So am I! Don't hold back. I want to see those beautiful eyes of yours when you lose it." Kakashi orders him as he thrusts inside Sasuke, faster and faster.

Sasuke came hard and with a roar. As soon as Kakashi hit that spot and said that, he was a goner. He tumbles over the edge into the most intense orgasm of his life.

His lover followed almost immediately, afterwards. He feel Kakashi spill his release inside him and the Sasuke sinks into his embrace at the two desperately struggle to catch their breath and Kakashi slides out of him.

 **End of Lemon**

"God, you're beautiful." Kakashi pants out as he caresses his cheek, after the two of them had made love in the hot tub.

He truly was. There was a nice rosy tint to his normally ivory pale skin. His rosy skin and formerly spiky hair were both drenched in water and there was a look of complete satisfaction in those ruby red orbs of his.

"So are you." Sasuke says with a contented sigh as he snuggles into his lover.

Wait. Ruby red? Sasuke's eyes weren't red. They had always been obsidian black. Something was wrong here.

"Sasuke, I hate that I have to do this. I really do, but I believe that I have to interrupt our afterglow and tell you something. Your eyes are different." He murmurs.

"Kakashi, what are you talking about? Are they bloodshot or something?" Sasuke asks in confusion.

Kakashi doubted that. He had seen blood shot eyes before. This wasn't the white area of the eye. No. Sasuke's irises had turned a different color.

"No, but they are red. Really, red. Sasuke, I think that you should look in a mirror." He says.

With that being said, Sasuke glances down at the water and gasps at his reflection. His eyes weren't black anymore. They were red. Red as rubies and inhuman.

"When I saw Orochimaru, he said that my chakra pathways were twice as large as normal. I think whatever he drugged me with, might explain the red eyes." He says with a sigh.

"Do you feel any pain at all?" Kakashi asks.

"No. It doesn't hurt, but it's strange. My vision is much sharper and I feel…stronger somehow. It's like an adrenaline rush." He admits.

"I'll have a look at some of the firsthand accounts of the Ninja Era. There might be something inside those texts that can help us." Kakashi suggests.

Sasuke nods and he frowns. This wasn't good. His eyes had just gone red and he hadn't meant for them to do that. He didn't have any idea what it meant. He just knew that somehow it was connected to that damn serum.

That's when he notices something particularly alarming. He wasn't the only one with a red eye. Though Kakashi only had one.

"It's not just me. Look at yourself. One of your eyes is like mine. Though yours is a different shade of red. I don't know, if that makes a difference or not." Sasuke mutters.

Kakashi looks down into the water and blinks. Sasuke wasn't kidding. One of his eyes was now crimson red. That didn't make any sense.

"I'm definitely going to have to look at those old accounts. This isn't normal. Orochimaru is meddling with things that he never should have meddled with. I can't believe that the university would approve these experiments." The History Professor says with a sigh.

"You're not the only one. I hope it isn't permanent. I really don't want to explain any of this to Itachi." Sasuke mutters.

"That's what you're worried about?!" Kakashi asks in disbelief.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Damn straight that was what he was worried about. Kakashi knew what Itachi was like. He should be worried too.

"You know what Itachi is like. He'd probably slit Orochimaru's throat himself, if he knew that Dr. Sannin was responsible for my eyes changing color. Itachi would also panic. He's a medical doctor. God only knows what sort of horrific explanations that he could come up with for something like this." Sasuke observes fretfully.

"That's a good point. He might even be more upset about your eyes than me stealing your virtue." Kakashi says with a smirk.

"Jerk." Sasuke growls under his breath and Kakashi just laughs as he captures the Uchiha's lips for another heated kiss.

One way or another, they would get this sorted out. They were together now and he certainly wasn't going to let anything change that. Not Orochimaru's sick experiments and not even Itachi was going to keep them apart.

Though privately, Kakashi had to admit that the elder Uchiha Brother could be rather terrifying when he wanted to be. Oh well. Nothing worth having was ever easy and Sasuke was definitely worth having!


	12. Chapter 12

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 12

Two days later, Itachi walks into Minato's office. The man owned Rasengan News. Sometimes it was a good thing to have a foolish little brother. A foolish little brother who was friends with Mr. Namikaze's son. It made it much easier to get an appointment with the busy CEO.

"Ah, Itachi. It's good to see you again. So you wanted to discuss something with me? A possible story? Please, have a seat. Can I get you anything? Coffee maybe?" He asks.

"A black coffee would be wonderful, thank you. Though while your company serves exceptional coffee, that's not why I'm here. I have a story that you might be interested in. One that I'm certain will draw much interest from your audience." The elder Uchiha Brother says.

Minato was a nice man. Certainly a friendly fellow, but Itachi was here on business. Not for a social visit. After all, protecting his baby brother came first.

"I have no idea how you can drink straight black coffee. Personally, I prefer some sugar and cream in mine. Do continue. I'll pour us each a glass while you explain." He states as he heads over to the coffee machine.

Some sugar and cream was putting it mildly. Itachi had never seen a man with a bigger sweet tooth than Minato Namikaze. Honestly, he half expected to find out that the man was actually made out of sugar, spice, and everything nice. Oh wait. That was suppose to be what girls were made out of.

"Thank you. Well Dr. Sannin has been working on a groundbreaking project. One that he hopes will reawaken everyone's chakra networks. Surely, you can see the enormous potential applications of such things. As a doctor, I have a particular interest in Medical Jutsus. Though there are so many other kinds that are equally fascinating. This could change everything." Itachi says.

Itachi smiles as he sees Minato tense up for a moment. It was only a moment, but that was all the Uchiha needed to see it. Now that that he had the blonde's attention, it was time to reel him in.

"That does sound rather promising, but I don't see how that's a story. Has he actually done it yet? Would he even permit someone to do a story on his work?" The other man asks.

"Not yet. Though I believe that he is making progress. That and if anyone can do it, it would be Orochimaru. I may not like him, but the man is a medical genius." Itachi admits with a reluctant sigh.

As much as it killed him to say that, Itachi knew it was the truth. That was part of the reason why he didn't want the viper within ten feet of his baby brother. He had seen the way that Orochimaru looked at Sasuke. It was nothing short of unsettling.

Kakashi was one thing. He was just a bit older than Itachi was entirely comfortable with, but Orochimaru was old enough to be their father. Luckily, Sasuke seemed to agree with him. There was a certain distaste in his brother' voice, whenever he spoke of Dr. Sannin.

"That's true. I'm surprised that you are asking me to do a story on him though. As you said, you aren't particularly fond of him. Not that I can blame you. There is something off about Orochimaru." The blue eyed CEO says.

Something off about him was likely the worst that Minato would say about anyone, short of them committing a heinous crime. Just like his son, he liked to see the good in everyone. It was both his greatest strength and his greatest flaw.

"That's putting it rather mildly. Well I'll admit that he's not on my Christmas Card List, but the potential benefits to humanity far outweigh my personal dislike of him. Besides, someone is going to break this story. It may as well be Rasengan news." Itachi reasons.

"That's a good point. Well I'll call him and if he gives permission, I'll send Anko over. You know, she used to be one of his students. She was going to go into the medical field, but…well his class changed her mind. Which is a good thing for me. She's one of my best reporters." Minato says with a wink.

 _"I can't blame the woman for choosing a different field, if Orochimaru was one of her instructors. Anko probably assumed that all doctors were as creepy as Orochimaru and ran as far as she could in the other direction. Smart woman, really,"_ Itachi thinks to himself.

"Yes, well not everyone is cut out for every career path. Though the fact she used to be his student, might work in our favor. Well assuming that he remembers her. The man must have taught hundreds, if not thousands of students over the years." The Uchiha says thoughtfully.

The odds of him remembering a single student were low. That student would have to be exceptional in some way. That's when Anko walked in and Itachi blinks.

"You called, Minato?" She asks with a sassy wink.

That would do it. Thank goodness Orochimaru preferred men. Otherwise he probably would have stalked this woman who pulled off fishnets rather well.

She wore a beige jacket and matching pants, but her shirt was made out of fishnets. The material was sufficiently dark that you didn't get too much of an eyeful, but well one's imagination could fill in the gaps easily enough…if they were so inclined. (And Itachi was definitely inclined to do so)!

"Yeah. Well I'm going to give Dr. Sannin a call. Itachi just informed me that he's conducting a rather interesting experiment. You used to be in one of his classes, I thought perhaps you wouldn't mind taking the lead on this case. Assuming that he agrees to some interviews, of course." The blonde says.

Itachi didn't miss the way that she bit her lower lip in response to that question. He doubted that was a normal reaction for her. He had just met the woman two minutes ago and the Uchiha highly doubted she was a shirking violet.

"Well if he agrees, alright. Though I have to warn you. The guy is a complete creep." Anko says.

Beautiful and smart. A rare combination. Anyway, he really should get back on track here. It was just that the fishnet shirt was so damn distracting.

"Oh believe me, I know. My mentor Jirayia went to high school with him. It's a small world." Minato says with a sigh.

Indeed it was. It would be a better world though, if Orochimaru would leave his foolish little brother alone. Oh well. If Orochimaru wouldn't do so voluntarily, Itachi would just have to find a way to make him.

Meanwhile Sasuke was with Kakashi in the library. The two of them were still reading as many primary sources about the Ninja Era as they could. To say the least, firsthand accounts were slim.

The ones that did exist though, well they were long. Ridiculously long. Sasuke was rather grateful that he was a speed read in all honesty. Otherwise, he would never get anywhere.

"I think that I found something." Sasuke says as he gestures for Kakashi to come over.

"What'd you find?" The silver haired man asks.

"Madara Uchiha helped to found the Leaf alongside a man known as Hashirama. He has the same last name as me. That has to mean something." Sasuke says.

Was it possible that he was a reincarnation and somehow descended from himself? The implications made himself spin. Was he like his own five times great grandfather or something?

"Yes, I remember. Hashirama was the first Hokage." Kakashi supplies helpfully.

Right. Of course, Kakashi would know that. He was a History Professor. Sasuke glances at the photo and blinks. There had to be at least five hundred, if not a thousand years separating them. That was a pretty strong resemblance for that many generations to be separating him.

"He kinda looks like me. Well if you ignore the fact that his hair looks like a cross between a lion's mane and a porcupine." The Uchiha says thoughtfully.

"Oh I don't know, I kinda like it. Though it'd be rather impractical. You'd probably have to spend a couple hundreds dollars a month just to care for it and I quite like your current style anyway." The silver haired man contributes.

Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Right. They were getting off topic here. Back to Madara. Important stuff about Madara and the Leaf Village. Not his hair.

"I guess that's true. We really need to focus though." Sasuke says as he his eyes scan the page.

That's when he saw a picture. A picture with a red eyed Madara. Eyes that were similar to his own and Kakashi's on the night after they were together for the first time.

There were other pictures on that page of similar eyes. The eyes varied in design somewhat. Though they all had one thing in common. They were red. It was labeled the Sharingan.

 **The Sharingan was a Bloodline Trait found mostly in the Uchiha Clan. Though it was one of the Bloodline Traits that could be transplanted via eye transplant. It was widely considered to be one of the most sought after bloodlines.**

 **Depending on how evolved the Sharingan was, it could do different things. The was the standard Sharingan, the Mangekyo Sharingan, and the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.**

 **Madara Uchiha was able to use all three. Though in the final Ninja War, he was even able to use the Rinnegan which is described in further detail in chapter 39 of this text.**

Sasuke blinks as he reads more and more of the text. The Sharingan could do a lot of amazing things, but the power came at a cost. You could go blind from overusing it. Unless you received a transplant. Preferably from another Uchiha and ideally, from a sibling.

"Sasuke, I know what you're thinking. What happened in that life doesn't really matter. All that matters is if the echoes of that one will impact our current life." Kakashi says as he caresses his cheek.

The Uchiha sighs and leans into the caress. The transplant thing explained how Kakashi got one. Why only one though? It didn't make any sense.

"Maybe, but let's try to keep the two lives from mixing. I'm pretty damn happy this one. Well other than dealing with Orochimaru." Sasuke says with a smile as he kisses Kakashi.

"Mmm. Yes, I can't say that I have many complaints either." The silver haired man agrees as he returns the Uchiha's kiss.

Elsewhere Jugo sighs as he drags Taka and Naruto to the library. Their midterms were looming over their heads. That meant that it was up to him and Karin to ensure that Naruto and Suigetstu actually cracked open a book or two.

This was a thankless job, really. Still it had to be done. He wasn't going to allow his friends to flunk out.

"Awe man. Come on. It's way too early to start studying." Naruto whines.

"Naruto, it's 10 A.M. It's not as though I'm making you do it at the crack of dawn." Jugo argues.

"Ten in the morning might as well be six in the morning. It's such an ungodly hour. Really, I don't know why we bother with mornings at all. We should just skip straight to afternoons." Suigetsu says cheekily.

Jugo sighs and braces himself. He knew what was coming. Karin was never one to miss an opportunity to smack Suigetsu around. To be honest though, the man brought it on himself at least half the time.

"You're both so lazy!" The fiery red head exclaims as she swats them both.

Right on schedule. Well some things would never changed, Jugo supposed. Play fights were certainly one of them.

"If you're all done bickering, let's go to the library. The sooner we go, the sooner we can finish. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can all go out for lunch." He suggests.

Well those had been the magic words. Food was highly motivating to Naruto and Suigetsu. If nothing else, that never failed to get their butts moving! With that being said, the two college boys quickly race off towards the library.

"Wow." Karin mutters as she watches them go.

"I know. Nothing gets them moving faster than the promise of a good meal." Jugo observes with a chuckle and Karin nods in agreement.

Back in Orochimaru's Lab, the Professor was looking over the results. Sasuke's were the most promising, but that wasn't surprising. He had been a ninja in his previous life. Maybe that had an impact on the results.

"Professor Sannin, I know what you're thinking. It's too risky though. Itachi isn't a student, a member of the faculty, or a test subject. If he begins to remember his past life, he may well connect the dots and he hasn't signed a waver." Kabuto points out.

That was all true, but Orochimaru didn't appreciate the other man pointing it out. From what he could gather from his memories, Itachi had also been a ninja. A powerful one that had slipped through his fingers last time.

If being a ninja in your former life helped to accelerate your chakra pathways being reactivated then it stood to reason that the same logic would apply to Itachi. Itachi was a good way to test this theory. That and Orochimaru had had enough of his disrespect.

"Yes, you're right. He didn't sign a waver and it is risky." The Medical Researcher concedes.

"Indeed. Besides, we still have Sasuke and Kakashi. They're our two most promising test subjects." The bespectacled man reasons.

Orochimaru nods in agreement. That was true, but that wasn't enough. Itachi needed to be added to the pool and he would find a way to do it.

He just wasn't going to tell Kabuto about this plan. He was a loyal lab assistant, but he worried too much. The Teaching Assistant was far too cautious by nature for something like this. That was alright though. Orochimaru wasn't.

"Yes, they are. Unfortunately, both of them are going to be rather uncooperative. Well at least that's my suspicion. I do hope that I'm wrong." he says with a heavy sigh.

"I hope so as well. Knowing them though, you aren't wrong. Well you're seldom wrong about anything in general, but you understand my point." He replies.

Orochimaru couldn't lie. He did enjoy having his ego stroked as much as anyone else and Kabuto was more than willing to do that. For a second, he felt slightly guilty about not telling him everything.

It was only a second though. Nothing was going to stop him from unlocking the secrets of chakra networks and past lives. Not even his friendship with Kabuto. If it came down to it, Orochimaru knew what choice he would make.

"Yes, of course. Well let's get back to work. Are the test subjects here?" He inquires.

"Yes, they arrived a few minutes ago. I'll go and check on them now and start sending them in." The other man assures him as he heads off to do exactly that.

He would choose scientific knowledge over friendship every time. It wasn't even a close contest. That was just how he was wired.

It was nothing personal. Really, that was just the natural order of things. Only the strongest survived and in this case, that might mean getting a little ruthless.

"I hope that it doesn't come to that though." He mutters.

He was more than capable of fighting dirty, if he had to. Orochimaru just prayed that he wouldn't have to. Losing Kabuto's friendship and support would be a bitter pill to swallow, but it was one that he was willing to swallow…if he absolutely had to do so.

At that same moment, the rest of Taka and Naruto had made their way to the library. Not that Sasuke or Kakashi had noticed yet. They were far too distracted by each other to notice such "trivial" details.

"No way! Sasuke, you're making out with Kakashi!" Naruto exclaims.

Just like that Kakashi mentally sighs. The blonde had completely ruined the moment. Lovely. Now things were about to get incredibly awkward.

One moment, he had been enjoying the feeling of Sasuke's lips against his and then this happens. He always did have the worst luck. Well perhaps, he should have seen this coming. They were in a library, after all.

"Yes, I am. Now stop being annoying and go away." Sasuke grumbles as he tries to catch his breath.

Kakashi smirks at Sasuke's response. It was nice to know that he could leave the other man breathless. Though he supposed that they should have taken this to his office. It would have been far more private.

"What? No way. You can't just make out with your teacher and expect us not to ask about it!" Suigetsu protests.

"Yeah! That's right! Sasuke, what is going on?!" Karin demands.

Kakashi shakes his head in amusement. He should have predicted this. It was only natural that Sasuke's friends would be curious. Though he had no idea how they were going to explain their relationship to the well-meaning, but nosey college students.

"First of all, he's my FORMER teacher. The keyword is former. It's not like this is something that I'm doing for extra credit. Secondly, he's my boyfriend now. Third, it's a long story. Four, I'll explain later. We've got important stuff to do here!" Sasuke growls out in frustration.

"Yeah. Important stuff like sucking each other's face. Well we all know that you weren't doing it for extra credit. You're such a geek, Sasuke. It's about time that you got laid though." Suigetsu teases him merrily.

At this point, the silver haired man was positive that Sugietsu had a death wish. That was the only logical explanation for why he would taunt the embarrassed Uchiha in such a fashion. Really, the man must be a masochist.

"It's about time that I introduced my fist to your face." Sasuke hisses at him.

"Yeah! It is!" Karin agrees happily as the librarian comes over to shush them.

"Excuse me, this is a library. People are trying to study. Could you please keep it down or else I'm going to have to ask to leave!" The mousy brunette named Shizune says.

Damn. They must have been louder than he thought. Kakashi had never actually been shushed by the kindly librarian before. He felt like a teenager again.

"Our apologies. It won't happen again." Kakashi assures her.

"Kakashi? I can't believe that a Professor was carrying on in such a way. What has gotten into you?" She asks in surprise.

Well more like who had he gotten into, but the History Professor digressed. He really didn't feel like getting kicked out of the library. So he needed to put his best I'm Sorry Puppy Face forward.

"My students and I were just discussing their latest assignment. They're very excited about it. You know how kids can be." He replies with a cheerful, but bashful smile.

So far the face had never failed him before. He doubted that it was about to start now. It always worked like a charm.

"Alright, but do try to keep it down." Shizune says with a sigh as she heads off.

"Nice job. You even got the librarian curious what you two are doing back here." Suigetsu continues.

"You're such an idiot. I'm not going to get kicked out of this place because of you. Come on, Kakashi. Let's check out these books and go." Sasuke states.

The Professor couldn't help, but feel a little guilty. He was unintentionally driving a wedge between Sasuke and his friends. Though he knew that this was all just normal gentle ribbing. Sasuke might not feel that way and really, that was what mattered most.

"Sasuke, you know that he was just teasing. Right? I mean, it's great that you finally found someone." Naruto calls out.

"Yeah. I know. It's fine. I'm just not in the mood to get kicked out of the library because Suigetsu doesn't know when to stop running his mouth." Sasuke mutters as he checks out the books with Kakashi and makes a quick departure.

"I'm sorry, if I made things awkward between you and your friends. That was never my intention." Kakashi apologizes.

"It's not your fault. That's how they always act. They're great, but sometimes they need to learn when to lay off. Anyway, wanna go back to your place?" Sasuke asks.

"Oh my God, that's so romantic! A forbidden love! I had no idea! Well this does explain why Sasuke never paid much attention to girls. You two look so cute together!" Ino says excitedly.

Sasuke probably should have been careful to make sure no one was in earshot when he said that. Not that what they were doing was illegal or even anything that the school could fire him for, but still. Now, the rumor mill was going to go into overdrive.

Kakashi recognized this one. She had been in one of his Intro Classes a year or two back. He was pretty sure her name was Ino and she was very much a social butterfly.

"…" Sasuke is speechless.

"That's very kind of you to say, Ino. Would you mind not saying it so loudly though? Our relationship is still very new and we aren't quite ready to face the brunt of public opinion yet. I'm no longer his teacher, but I'm sure that you can understand how some people might not react well to the news that I'm dating one of my former students." He says pleadingly.

He doubted that she would actually keep quiet about their relationship. She was a nice girl, but a Gossip Queen as the kids said these days. Hopefully, Sasuke would at least buy it though.

The last thing that he needed was for someone to go spreading rumors. Rumors that would make his adorable kitten embarrassed. As far as he was concerned, they had nothing to be embarrassed about. The rest of the world probably wouldn't feel the same way, but that didn't matter to Kakashi.

"Oh! Right! Of course! Don't worry about anything! Your secret is safe with me." Ino says with a wink before prancing off.

"Did that really just happen?" Sasuke asks in an utterly baffled voice.

He loved Sasuke. Sasuke loved him. That was all that mattered. Everyone else's opinion about the matter were just background noise to him.

Well except for Itachi. Kakashi was fairly certain that if he upset the younger Uchiha in any way, that his big brother was plotting at least fifty ways to kill him. Knowing Itachi, he could make it look like an accident. He was a doctor, after all.

"Yes, I do believe that really just happened. Don't worry about it. It was bound to get out sooner or later and we have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of." He murmurs.

"I'm not worried about it. It might make the harpies leave me alone, actually. So it could be a good thing. You ready to head back to your place?" Sasuke asks.

"That's the spirit. Look on the bright side of things and yes, I'm ready." Kakashi says with a smile and with that, the two lovers walked of towards his home…hand in hand.


	13. Chapter 13

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. **Oh and for those of you interested, please check out my profile for an important update and to vote on my poll.**

Chapter 13

Two weeks later, Sasuke was confident that something was wrong with Itachi and he had a good idea what it was. Well more like a general idea. It had to do with Orochimaru. That much he was sure of.

"Hey, Sasuke! Hello, Professor!" Ino says happily as she walks over to them.

Itachi had never acted so oddly around him before. For some reason, his brother wouldn't look him in the eye now. When the elder Uchiha did look at him, it was with a guilty expression.

That didn't make any sense though. What could Itachi possibly have to feel guilty about? Well other than threatening his boyfriend.

"Hey, Ino. You might want to step back. I'm spotting him and that's a lot of weight." Sasuke warns her.

Though Sasuke doubted that was the cause of Itachi's strange behavior. If anything the other Uchiha was proud to have traumatized the History Professor. The doctor probably figured that threatening Kakashi was just part of his sacred duties of being an older brother. Guilt likely wouldn't factor into the equation.

"He's right, Ino. We wouldn't want anyone to get hurt." Kakashi tells her cheerfully as he continues his bench press.

So what was it then? What had Orochimaru done to his brother? It was one thing for Orochimaru to mess with him and Kakashi, it was another to bring his family into it! At least he and Kakashi knew what they were up against. Itachi didn't.

He knew that Orochimaru was a creep, but not one kind of creep. Orochimaru literally embodied the mad scientist stereotype now and apparently, he had always been like this. That or he had been like this in at least two lifetimes.

"Oh right! Of course! Sorry! I just want you guys to know that I completely support your relationship and I'm sure most of the student body would have your back as well. That and you aren't doing anything illegal. I mean Sasuke is of age and he's not even your student anymore." She continues.

Sasuke suspected that they had lived longer than two lives. If that was the case, why were they remembering the Ninja one, specifically? Was it merely because it had been the most recent or because it had been the most traumatic? That or it could simply be because they were stimulating chakra pathways.

"Ino, that's sweet. Really, but we're kinda busy at the moment." Sasuke reminds her.

"Right. Right. Well I'm gonna go try one of the treadmills!" She says as she darts off.

Unbelievable. Not even being gay was going to protect him from the fan girls. They really needed to learn to take no for an answer.

"She means well." The silver haired man points out.

"Yeah. I know. Good thing she didn't look at how much you're pressing. Kakashi, you're benching over 500 pounds. That's not normal." Sasuke says in concern.

Well he was concerned and turned on at the same time. Whoa. Five hundred freaking pounds!

He had always known that Kakashi was strong, but he doubted that the man usually went around benching that. It had to do with the pathways. Modern Kakashi probably couldn't lift that much, but Ninja Kakashi was another story.

"I know. Don't worry about it. I'm sure when the serum gets out of may system, I'll go back to normal and the same can be said of you. For now though, I must admit that I do enjoy being this strong." He says with a wink.

What was normal anyway? Sasuke couldn't remember. Being normal was okay, but he didn't have Kakashi when he was normal.

Sasuke wouldn't trade Kakashi for the world. Not even all the bad memories or that one seizure. Though he really did need to kick Orochimaru's ass so they could focus on more important stuff.

"Yeah. Super strength must be fun, but I could live without all the other stuff." Sasuke mutters.

"I know." Kakashi says as he continues benching.

Was Kakashi showing off for him? Sasuke was pretty sure that the other man was. Well in that case it was working.

Now where was he? Oh yeah. They could get back to focusing on the important stuff. Important stuff like each other.

"You know, working out together isn't the most romantic date." Naruto whispers with a quiet laugh as he walks over to them.

Naruto and Taka. Oh boy. Sasuke wasn't sure that the was ready to deal with this headache. He knew that his friends had the best of intentions, but they could also be really annoying sometimes.

"Whatever, loser. If I want dating advice from you, I'll ask for it." Sasuke mutters.

Had they always been like this? They certainly had in this life, but what about the other? As he was pondering this, Sasuke is hit by a barrage of images.

 _"What would you know?! You've always been alone! You don't know what it's like to have a family and lose them! You couldn't possibly understand!" A younger version of himself snarled at Naruto._

 _The two of them had been fighting. Sasuke had managed to get on top of him. They were both about twelve or thirteen at the time and Sasuke was furious._

 _Naruto would never understand. He would never understand what it was like to have a loving family and have that taken away. He had to avenge his family. He was going to make the blonde leave him alone!_

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Are you okay?" Naruto asks in concern.

 _"Didn't you want to be Hokage? All that time you spent chasing after me, would have been better spent training. Who knows? You might already be Hokage, if you weren't so obsessed with saving me. Don't you agree?" Sasuke whispered in the blonde's ear._

 _He didn't know how they had found him, but they had. Sasuke really wished that his former team would stop coming after him. He would kill them, if he had to. All that mattered was Itachi's death._

Sasuke's eyes go unfocused as more and more images flash before him. Faster and faster! There was no stopping them!

 _A teenage Sasuke uses his sword to slice open a giant tank. A man spilled free from it. One with one hair and violet eyes. Suigetsu._

 _"Thanks for freeing me from the tank, but why?" Suigetsu asked as he got behind him and pointed his fingers at Sasuke's ear like a gun._

 _It wasn't just a silly gesture. The man could create Water Bullets. Suigetsu could blow his brains out and Sasuke wouldn't be able to stop him. Not like this._

 _He showed no reaction though. People like Suigetsu could smell fear. At least, that's what Sasuke thought._

 _"You're going to help me track down my brother. We're going to kill him. I killed Orochimaru. I saved you. You owe me." He stated simply._

 _"Don't flatter yourself. You're not the boss of me. We all wanted to kill Orochimaru. You just happened to be the only one who got close enough to do it." He retorted._

 _"Itachi travels with a man called Kisame. He has the Samehada. One of the swords you want so badly. If you help me, I don't care what you do with the sword. Besides, do you really have something better to do?" Sasuke asked with a smirk._

 _He knew that he had won, when Suigetsu slowly slid his hand away from his ear. The other man was going to help him and that was that. Now, he just had to get Karin and Suigetsu._

"Sasuke!" Kakashi cries out in horror, but the youngest Uchiha didn't hear him.

 _"You know, we don't really need them. It could just be you and me." Karin said as she sat down next to Sasuke._

 _The woman was actually trying to seduce him. He really didn't need this. He needed to kill Itachi and the best way to do that was by assembling a good team. That meant that he needed all of them._

 _"You can come with all of us or you can stay here. The choice is yours. Orochimaru is dead though. You'd just rot away here. No one will come looking for you. This way, you can at least have a purpose." Sasuke told her._

 _She obviously was less than thrilled by that answer, but Karin accepted it. Sasuke was pretty sure that she was only coming along because she liked him. Whatever. That didn't matter to him._

"It's going to be okay. I promise." Kakashi tells him as he grabs Sasuke in his arms as the other man loses his balance.

 _"Stop it!" Sasuke called out as he got between Jugo and Suigetsu._

 _The two had been fighting. Jugo had lost control. He had a powerful gift, but that gift came at a price. His Clan was prone to flying into fits of rages at random._

 _It wasn't his fault, but he wasn't going to let Jugo kill Suigetsu. Suigetsu might be annoying, but he was useful. Too useful to let the other man kill him._

 _"Thanks, Sasuke!" Suigetsu called out._

 _Jugo turned out to be the most normal of his three teammates, most of the time. When he wasn't in one of his rages, he was actually a very gentle person. A gentle person who loved animals and decided that he was Sasuke's Shield._

 _Sasuke never really understood why. Something about him being the living embodiment of Kimimaro's will. He was just glad to have the giant around as back up, really._

"Sasuke, are you okay?" Kakashi asks desperately.

"Y-yeah. I think so. It was probably something I ate. We should just head back for now. I think I need to lay down." The raven haired man says.

He couldn't believe that had just happened. He had just had several flashbacks at once and in front of his friends. His friends who had no idea what was really going on.

"Alright. We'll talk to you guys later." Kakashi says apologetically as he leads Sasuke off.

Meanwhile Anko was interviewing Orochimaru. She really hated being back here. There had once been a time when she had practically worshipped the ground the other man walked on.

He was a genius. A legend in his field. It was only natural that any aspiring doctor would look up to him. Unfortunately, that illusion of heroism hadn't lasted long.

"Ah. Anko, it's been far too long. How have you been since graduation?" Orochimaru coos at her.

"I've been well. I work for Rasengan News now." The woman replies honestly.

She might be a doctor, if it hadn't been for him. Anko had stumbled upon some of his less than ethical experiments. When she had threatened to report him, Orochimaru had made it quite clear that she might very well be doing so at the cost of her own life.

"Yes, so I've heard. You seem to be doing quite well in your new field. It's a shame though. You really did have such marvelous potential to be an amazing doctor. Oh well. I suppose life does have a way of throwing us all curveballs." He continues.

He was talking to her as if he hadn't threatened her life the last time they spoke. The man was psychotic. That or did he really not remember?

Was it possible that he made such threats on a regular basis? She might not have been the first to understand what he was really trying to do behind the scenes. In that case, she wouldn't let it happen again.

"Yes, that's true. Well thank you for granting me these interviews. Our station is very excited about your research. It's truly groundbreaking stuff." The young woman replies.

"Indeed. I'm rather excited about it as well. That's one of the reasons why I agreed to this interview. I believe the rest of the world has a right to know that our society might very well change drastically in the near future. This could change everything." Dr. Sannin crows.

She wasn't going to let him threaten any other students or anyone else. No one else would have their academic or professional careers ruined for the sake of Orochimaru's ambition. Anko had managed to land on her feet, but what about the others? Had they?

"The implications of this research are nearly endless. So shall we begin?" Anko inquires sweetly.

She was an investigative reporter. Not an actress. Though that didn't meant that Anko wasn't capable of acting, when she had to. Like now, for instance.

"Yes, we shall. Well every person has a chakra network. It's just that humans haven't used them in so long, the networks have shrunk. Quite simply, they're far too small for people to use chakra." He begins.

Anko nods encouragingly. She understood that part. She had taken a few Ninja Era Classes. The era had always fascinated her.

"And your research is about widening the pathways. Isn't that dangerous?" She inquires.

"It could be. Though we are taking every precaution possible to ensure our subjects' safety. Very few great scientific and medical discoveries were accomplished without some measure of risk." He says, waving off her concerns.

As long as it wasn't his neck on the line, Anko thinks to herself. Orochiamru had never really been a man that would jeopardize himself first. She imagined that he had been experimenting on a bunch of unsuspected college students for awhile.

He might already be doing the same experiment to himself. Most likely, he would have a few trials run to ensure safety. Then Orochimaru would try to reactive his chakra pathways. It certainly sounded like the type of crazy scheme that he would come up with.

"That's true. So how do you plan on widening these pathways?" Anko inquires.

"We've created a special serum. Over time, it widens them. So far our greatest success has been widening one individual's pathways to be twice the size of your average person. My research assistant's own pathways have been enlarged by a 33%. Two weeks ago, he was only at 25%." Orochimaru explains.

So prolonged exposure to this serum was the key. Anko wasn't sure whether to be fascinated or terrified. Who knew what the Medical Researcher was eventually planning on doing.

Chakra could be a powerful force for good or a powerful force for atrocities. She had read the history books. She knew enough about the Ninja Wars to realize what kind of carnage chakra could cause in the wrong hands.

"That does sound rather impressive. How much larger does the average person's chakra pathways have to grow before they can use chakra again?" Anko dares herself to ask.

"We aren't entirely sure yet. Though presumably, more than twice as large." He answers.

Orochimaru had no idea what he was doing. He was conducting these experiments and didn't really have a goal. That wasn't good. That wasn't good at all.

"Well I would love to know the answer to that question as soon as you find out." She says with a smile.

"You'll be the first to know. Well outside of our researchers and subjects." Orochimaru assures her with a wink.

That wink made her blood run cold. Orochimaru thought this was some sort of game. He was meddling with things that he ought not meddle with and one way or another, she was going to stop him.

Back at Kakashi's home, the History Professor takes Sasuke back to their room and helps him get into the bed. Their room. It was their room now.

Truly, it was amazing how easily Sasuke had slipped into his every day life. Well once, they had gotten going. After becoming a couple, the younger Uchiha had started to spend just as much time here as he did in his dorm. At the rate they were going, Sasuke might as well just move in.

"Don't look at me that way, Kakashi. I'm fine. I just had some flashbacks." Sasuke mutters.

"You shouldn't be having flashbacks. The serum should be out of your system by now." He says.

Sasuke sighs and Kakashi raises an eyebrow. He didn't. Dear God, someone please tell him that his lover wouldn't actually be that foolish.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi. I had to. Orochimaru probably would have kicked me off the project, if I didn't. I've been taking injections. It's okay though. I mean, it might not be fun…but it's okay." He whispers.

The silver haired man didn't know how two react to that. Terrified, angry, or disappointed. Sasuke was clearly out of his mind.

"There has to be another way. Another way, besides subjecting yourself to this." The History Professor says as he gets on the bed with Sasuke and kisses his forehead.

"I wish there was another way, but there isn't. You know it and I know it. I'm sorry that I kept this a secret from you. I don't like doing that, but I had to. You never would have agreed to let me do it." Sasuke tells him.

That was damn true. If Kakashi had his way, Orochimaru wouldn't be allowed on the same continent as Sasuke. Preferably, not even the same galaxy. Though he knew that last one was a bit of a stretch. Space travel hadn't advanced far enough yet, for that last one to be a real possibility.

"You're right. I love you, Sasuke. I don't want that snake getting his filthy fangs into you. I want you to be safe." He tells him.

"I know. I love you too and I don't want his filthy fangs. I want your filthy hands on me. Filthy in a good way though." Sasuke tells him as he pulls Kakashi down onto the bed with him and snuggles against him.

Kakashi sighs as he traces the curve of Sasuke's hip. It was hard to stay angry with him, when Sasuke was being that adorable. It really should be illegal to be that ridiculously cute.

"Mmm well as long as it's in a good way, I suppose I can live with that label. I mean it though. Be careful. I don't want to lose you." The other man says.

"I'll be careful. Don't worry. You won't lose me. Not now and not ever." Sasuke promises him as he kisses his lover.

Kakashi smiles and returns the kiss. Sasuke could be ridiculously stubborn sometimes, but he loved the man. He loved him more than anything. That was why, he wasn't going to let Orochimaru hurt Sasuke ever again.

At that same moment, Itachi punches one of the walls in his home with his bare fist. The punch left a sizable indent in the wall. Far too large to be normal.

He had always been in good shape, but not that good shape. That sort of damage shouldn't have been possible with a punch. That only further reinforced his theory that something was wrong.

"Very wrong." He whispers to himself as the same flashback that had been tormenting him for two weeks hits again.

 _"Itachi! Itachi! Mother and father! They need help! They won't get up!" Sasuke screamed at him._

 _A younger version of Sasuke. He couldn't have been more than seven or eight years old. His baby brother was crying and leaning over the dead bodies of their parents._

 _They had to be dead. They were laying in a pool of their own blood. .A pool that was far too large for them to have survived their injuries, but obviously Sasuke didn't realize that._

 _"They don't need help. They're dead, Sasuke." He replied._

 _"They can't be dead! They can't be dead! Who did this?!" He demanded._

 _"I did this. I was the one who killed them and the rest of our family." Itachi answered honestly._

 _He hated seeing that look on Sasuke's face. The sight of his parents' bodies and their fellow Clansmen and Clanswomen, but it had to be done._

 _It had to be done to stop a potential war. There had been no other way. Itach I knew that he had done the right thing, but he still deserved to be punished. The fact that he had prevented a war wouldn't erase all the blood on his hands._

 _"Why?! Why would you do this?!" His brother raged at him._

 _"To test my limits. Nothing matters, except strength." He answered him._

 _"To test your limits?! That was the reason why you butchered, every single member of our Clan?!" The younger Uchiha demanded._

 _Itachi nodded. To further solidify Sasuke's hatred of him, he taunted him and left the boy in an incoherent state. His body slumped onto the ground and convulsing._

 _"You're pathetic. Not even worth killing. Nurse your hatred and maybe, someday you'll be worth fighting." He said and with that, he took off._

"This isn't normal. Orochimaru must have done something to me." Itachi says as a silent tear streams down his cheek.

It was a hallucination. That's what it had to be. That hadn't actually happened. So why had it felt so real?

He could smell the scent of blood and hear Sasuke's agonized cries. Why did it feel like an actual memory? It had never happened. That's when he notices his phone was ringing and he answers it.

"Hello. Itachi Uchiha speaking. How may I help you?" He asks.

He wasn't sure how he managed to make his voice sound so normal. Itachi was just grateful that he had. He couldn't explain this to anyone. He just couldn't.

"This is Anko. I just got done with my first interview with Dr. Sannin. To say the least, the guy is a creep. He's definitely messing with some stuff that he should be leaving alone. He wants to reactivate chakra networks and I don't think that he's too worried about hurting people in the process." She answers.

Oh. Anko. The sultry reporter. Right. He had asked Minato to send someone down to investigate Orochimaru. She was just checking in.

"Yes, my thoughts exactly. There is no telling what he's capable of. Some risk is to be expected in any medical trial, but I don't think that he's taking all the preventive measures that he should be taken to ensure those risks are minimized." Itachi says.

Anko had once been Orochimaru's student. She knew what he was capable of. Surely, she wouldn't think that he was crazy to be suspicious of the other man.

"My thoughts exactly. There was always something that felt more than a little off about him. God only knows, what he's really planning to do with the results of this research." She says with a sigh.

"That's why we have to find a way to prevent him from going much further. I won't let someone get hurt over his blind ambition." Itachi vows.

"Good. I'm sure that we can figure something out, together. This guy has had it coming for years. He's such a creep. I'm in." Anko promises him.

Itachi nods in approval. It was nice to have someone else working on this with him. Though he hadn't known her very long, Itachi believed he could trust the reporter.

"Good. I'm glad to have you aboard. Operation Hydra is now in full effect." Itachi whispers as he bids her goodnight and hangs up the phone.


	14. Chapter 14

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I haven't undated this one in awhile because some other stories were closer to being finished and the plot bunnies are hopping fast. For those of you interested, I have a lot of new ones up. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:** I've changed my screen name. If you had me or any of my stories faved/follow, you should still be receiving email updates and everything should be listed the same as before. It's just SilverKitsune2017 will appear as the author instead of my old one.

 **Chapter Notation:** This chapter takes place two months after the last one.

Chapter 14

Two months later and Sasuke Uchiha was furious. Though the target of his fury wasn't Kakashi or even Orochimaru in this case. It was Itachi. His own brother.

"Alright, Itachi. What are you doing sneaking around Orochimaru's Lab and why is Rasengan News doing so many interviews with Dr. Sannin?" Sasuke glares at his elder brother. "Oh and don't you dare bullshit me." He couldn't believe that the doctor had been this _stupid_!

It was one thing for Sasuke to do it, but Itachi?! Itachi was supposed to be smarter than this! Sasuke was supposed to be the foolish one! Not him!

The younger Uchiha had been going for more injections, when he bumped into Itachi. Itachi was there and so was Anko. The graduate student recognized her as a reporter from the Rasengan News and that told him all that he needed to know.

Sasuke sincerely doubted that it was a coincidence that she just happened to be there at the same time as Itachi. He wasn't sure how, but his brother must have convinced her to do a story on Orochimaru. Wonderful. That was the last thing that he and Kakashi needed; Itachi getting involved with Orochimaru's sick experiments.

"Itachi is just a test subject for Dr. Sannin's experiments." Anko quickly stands between Sasuke and Itachi. "It's nothing to get upset about." In a strange way, she was probably trying to protect Itachi. (Which was ridiculous)!

Sasuke just gapes at her. Fortunately, the four of them were now back at Kakashi's place though. That meant that the young man could gape as much as he wanted.

He didn't know what was more unbelievable. The fact that Itachi was stupid enough to sign up for Orochimaru's experiments in the first place or that this woman was acting like his brother doing so was perfectly normal. It was a close call, but he settles on the latter.

Thankfully, his lover knew that as well! "Anko, you've been interviewing Orochimaru for months. I'm certain by now that you realize this is no ordinary experiment and that Sasuke's concern is justified." Kakashi sighs because obviously, he like Sasuke, knew that this was all ridiculous!

Sasuke shoots his lover a grateful smile. Thank God. At least the silver haired man had enough common sense to realize why this was an unacceptable situation!

"And you aren't just saying that because you are hoping to seduce my baby brother later tonight and thus are doing your best to keep him happy because of that?" Itachi smirks.

There were times, when Sasuke sincerely considered strangling his elder brother. "Oh that's definitely a factor. Though Sasuke being right and my wanting to seduce him aren't mutually exclusive concepts." Like now, for instance. Though Itachi's goading didn't seem to bother Kakashi in the slightest.

Still, that didn't stop Sasuke from groaning and smacking his forehead in frustration. He couldn't believe that the other man had just said that. He loved being with Kakashi, but he really wished the History Professor would stop giving details about their love life to his brother.

"My sex life with Kakashi isn't what we should be focusing on right now!" Sasuke glares at Itachi.

Kakashi nods cheerfully. "Though it is fantastic." God help, Sasuke. He was going to strangle both of them.

Anko giggles. Well that was nice. At least someone was having a good time because it certainly wasn't Sasuke.

"That's good to know. Sasuke, your cell is ringing." She gestures towards his phone.

Sasuke sighs. "Right. Thanks." He picks it up and proceeds to answer it.

He probably shouldn't have been surprised by who was on the other line. It was Jugo. Damn it. This was about to get messy!

Meanwhile Orochimaru makes a few more notations in his lap. Everything was going so smoothly. He was discovering more about chakra networks and past lives than he had ever thought possible!

"Orochimaru, aren't you worried that the Uchiha Brothers are too suspicious?" Kabuto still had his concerns though.

They weren't unfounded. The Medical Professor would have been lying, if he pretended not to have some anxieties when it came to Sasuke and Itachi, especially Itachi.

Despite that, the potential rewards outweighed the risks. For whatever reason, Sasuke, Itachi, and Kakashi the ones who were responding fastest to his treatments.

He sighs. "Yes, but not enough to stop the experiments. This is going to change the world, Kabuto." He smiles at him.

He had several theories as to why that was the case. Perhaps, it merely was connected to how powerful they were in their past lives. He suspected that did play some role in determining whose networks were waking up faster, but Orochimaru doubted that was the only reason.

Dr. Sannin also suspected that it had something to do with all the trauma they had each experienced their previous life. One didn't have a seizure, if they were reliving happy memories and Itachi looked so guilty. His own memories had filled in the gaps quite nicely.

"Very well. What about Anko though?" Hmm. That was a good point. "That reporter is relentless." True, she was.

Of course, that was only to be expected of one of his former students. It was such a shame she had dropped out of the medical field. The young woman had shown such promise. Oh well.

He had bigger fish to deal with than Anko. As lovely as she was, she was dolphin and the Uchiha Brothers were most certainly sharks. He was far more interested in sharks than dolphins.

He nods in agreement. "True enough. We'll have to find a way to deal with her." Orochimaru pauses as he considers the best way to deal with that.

Everyone so far, had been connected somehow. Connected during their past lives. Was it possible that Anko was the same? Perhaps, she could benefit from some serum as well.

"How could we convince her to take it though?" That was a fair concern. "She'd never take it willingly and we would need a chance slip it into her drink."

That was true. Anko was also too smart and wary of him to fall for such a ploy. "We'll just have to look for an opening if one doesn't present itself, we'll find another way to deal with her."

Speaking of dealing with problems, there was still Kakashi consider. The History Professor had grown far too close to Sasuke for his liking. While Orochiamru knew that it was unlikely the youngest Uchiha would ever return his affections, it was still very irritating to see the silver haired professor receive them.

Maybe, it was only natural to feel that way though. Apparently, there had been something of a rivalry between them. Orochimaru had offered Sasuke power and the boy took his offer, leaving Kakashi behind last time.

"This time will be no different." He smirks to himself.

Eventually, Sasuke would come to him on his own. Just like last time. The only difference was the motivation was a little less obvious in this lifetime.

After all, Itachi wasn't a butcher in this life. Sasuke had no reason to go on a quest for revenge. He'd think of something though. He always did.

"Orochimaru?" Kabuto looks at him in concern.

What was the old saying? Genius was one part inspiration and 99 parts perspiration? That was very, very true. It only took one stroke of brilliance to bring an idea to life, but many hours or even years of work to raise it to adulthood.

One of his greatest gifts was patience. It was a trait that the younger generations almost never failed to undervalue though. Really, it was a bit maddening.

As was currently the case with Kabuto, no patience. "Yes, Kabuto?" Most likely the other man had been trying to get his attention for awhile. Hmm.

Pity. He was going to have to be more careful about "spacing out" as the kids said these days. It was never a good sign when one wasn't as attentive to their surroundings as they should be. A ninja should expect, the unexpected.

"I was just wondering, if you were alright." He smiles in relief. "What's our next move?"

And make no mistake about it, Orochimaru was still a ninja. His profession might have changed, but not his soul. He knew that much.

Soon enough, he would be able to activate his chakra network. When that happened, everything would change. He was sure of it. Everyone was going to know his name and he would truly be immortal in a way for this discovery! His legacy would be preserved for the ages!

He sighs. "I haven't decided yet, but when I do…I shall be sure to let you know." Orochimaru was starting to reevaluate his relationship with Kabuto.

The man was the most loyal assistant that he had ever had, but he was also extremely cautious. That was both an asset and a liability, depending on the day. Though for now, he was most certainly going to keep him around.

Good help was so hard to find these days. That and Orochimaru was simply too close to making his discovery to changing course now. He didn't have time to bring another assistant up to speed on everything!

Elsewhere Jugo, Karin, Suigetsu, and Naruto were on their way to Kakashi's place. The gentle giant had already texted Sasuke to let him know they were coming.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Suigetsu looks at him as he places his hands behind the back of his head, walking casually. "What if we walk in on them when they're busy getting well _busy_?"

Jugo rolls his eyes playfully. His friend's mind was almost always in the gutter. Though he supposed that was only to be expected. The man **was** a college student after all.

He felt a bit guilty for thinking that though. The orange haired man was intelligent enough to realize when he was being stereotypical. It was something that he tried not to be, but he was only human. Every once in awhile, he would have such thoughts. Oh well. Life was a learning process.

"Is that all you ever think about?!" Karin glares at Suigetsu. "You damn pervert!"

Well Jugo couldn't blame the red head for her reaction. The woman had a point. Still, he really wished that they would get together already. It would make things so much simpler for everyone involved.

Suigetsu yawns. "Pft. Don't get your panties in a bunch." The other man must be yawning purely to irritate their friend further though. "Chill out, Karin." Jugo sincerely doubted that he was actually tired at this hour.

That was the wrong thing to say. "WHAT'D YOU SAY TO ME?!" Honesty, it would be a miracle, if they made it to Kakashi's home in one piece.

Naruto blinks as he watches the red head and violet eyed college student go at it. Jugo could only shrug in what he hoped was a reassuring manner at his friend. There were some things that just couldn't be explained with mere words. Karin's and Suigetsu's strange relationship was one of them.

"Give me Sasuke's pining over Kaskahi over this messed up foreplay, any day." Naruto grins at him.

Jugo nods his head in agreement. Damn straight. Pun intended.

Anyway, about ten minutes later, they manage to make it to Kakashi's home and Jugo rings the doorbell. They all had a key, but it would be very rude to just barge in unannounced. They did have _some_ manners, after all!

"Sasuke, it's your friends." Itachi opens the door and gives his brother a look of warning.

Kakashi mentally sighs. Oh boy. If he knew one thing about Sasuke's friends it was that they were endlessly curious. That and they had a knack for getting in trouble.

He was a bit confused as to how his introverted lover had ended up with so many wild friends, but he digressed. They were all good kids. It was just that they tended to get out of hand.

His lover smacks his forehead in frustration. "Come in. It seems like everyone else already has." Really, Sasuke needed to relax.

Kakashi was just as worried about the Orochimaru Situation. Still, getting all bent out of shape wasn't going to help matters. Perhaps, after everyone left…he'd give the other man a nice massage.

That or another dip in the hot tub could be enjoyable. Sasuke did seem to enjoy the hot tub. Not that the silver haired man could blame him! It was a very nice one!

"Sorry about this. I told him that we should have waited for you to answer." Suigetsu rubs the back of his head sheepishly as he walks inside.

Kakashi notes with some amusement that he had a bump forming the back of his head. He and Karin must have had another squabble. Those two fought like cats and dogs!

He had to say this much for Sasuke's friends. There was never a dull moment around Taka. That much was for sure.

 _"Careful, Naruto. Sasuke's new team is not to be underestimated." He needed to make sure that Sakura, Sai, and Naruto understood what was at stake here._

 _That was especially the case with Naruto. He cared for his most boisterous student a great deal, but he tended to rush head first into any situation without thinking much about it. To be fair, Sasuke was the same way..if it involved Itachi. Oh wait. He was getting off track._

 _Naruto growls. "I can't believe that he just replaced us like that!" The silver haired man could certainly relate to what Naruto was undoubtedly feeling, but getting angry wasn't going to help them get Sasuke back._

 _While the CopyCat Ninja wasn't as verbal as the blonde about it, he also wanted Sasuke back. More than almost anything really. He just smart enough to know that was easier said than done._

 _Sasuke was as lot like a cat. If he didn't want to come to you, well good luck catching him. He'd tear you to shreds with his claws._

 _"Suigetsu is known as a Prodigy in the Art of Murder. He was nickname that by Kisame." There. That should help them get some idea what they were dealing with. "He loves killing and fighting for the sake of it. The only real goal that he appears to have is getting the seven swords."_

 _Sakura gasped and Kakashi knew why. His only female student was well aware of who Kisame was. It would take a rather_ _ **special**_ _kind of person to earn that nickname from the eccentric Akatsuki Member._

 _Eccentric was putting it mildly though. Kisame probably thought that he was half shark or something and based on his appearance, that theory wasn't completely implausible. Kakashi still had no idea why that man had blue skin and shark teeth, not to mention gills…but he digressed._

 _"What about Karin and Jugo?" Sai looked at Kakashi curiously._

 _Honestly, the Jonin didn't know what to feel about "Sasuke's Replacement." There was a fairly strong physical resemblance, but in terms of personality…they were nothing alike._

 _That was only to be expected though. Kakashi knew that the other man was a member of ROOT. Danzo had likely beaten most of his personality of him. ROOT could be quite the cruel organization when it came training and that was saying something, even by his standards._

 _"Jugo is very strong physically and has a unique chakra. Nature chakra. He can do almost anything with it." But that power came at a price. "Unfortunately, that power makes his mind mentally unstable." He sighs._

 _"What do you mean by mentally unstable?" Two blue eyes were suddenly fixated on him._

 _Hmm. How did one put this delicately? Kakashi didn't feel like insulting the man for something that wasn't his fault, but he still needed to get his point across. Jugo was dangerous._

 _He sighs. "He can't control his rages. He'll lose complete control of himself and a much more aggressive personality tends to surface at random." Kakashi pauses. "That's why he's known as Jugo of the Scales. One never knows what will tip the scales and completely change his personality."_

 _His team frowns and Kakashi knew that at last, they were finally getting somewhere. Sakura, Naruto, and Sai were beginning to truly grasp how serious this was. Good!_

 _"And finally, there is Karin. I don't know as much about her." He sighs. "I do know that she's an excellent Sensory Type and that she has an amazing ability to heal people. I don't believe she's particularly formidable in combat, but I imagine she's proficient. And that's Sasuke's team."_

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Yes, you should have." He shrugs. "But now that you're all here, we can make more plans."

Itachi nods. If there was one thing that Kakashi knew about Itachi, it was that he was a genius. Well that and he was an overprotective brother to the extreme, but he was getting off topic here.

The elder Uchiha was obviously coming up with some kind of scheme. A scream that was likely going to make Orochimaru scream. Which was just fine with the History Professor for the record. God, how he loathed that Sannin!

"It would seem our best bet would be to destroy his lab." Itachi smiles.

Wait. What?! So much for being a genius! Itachi Uchiha was completely out of his mind!

How on Earth were they supposed to destroy Orochimaru's lab?! There were security cameras all over the place. They were going to get caught!

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Naruto gapes at Itachi.

Kakashi nods in agreement. The blonde was certainly right. That wasn't a plan. That was an instinct.

Itachi shrugs. "It's the only way that we'll know he can't just do it again. If I know Orochimaru, he wouldn't have dared take his work anywhere else." The elder Uchiha apparently was going to try to explain himself, it seemed. Good because Itachi had a lot of explaining to do.

Sasuke frowns. Great. Now, his lover was out of his mind too! Kakashi knew that look. That look said it all. The younger Uchiha was actually crazy enough to go along with all this!

"I don't like it." Sasuke sighs. "It's extremely risky." Yes, yes it was!

Unfortunately, the silver haired man knew what was coming. He could sense it from a mile away. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. There was a _but_ coming.

"But?" Anko looks over at the raven haired man imploringly.

Oh that was it! Anko was off his Christmas Card List. Not that she had ever been on it to begin with. Kakashi didn't really know her, but it was the principle of the thing!

Sasuke looks around warily. "But we're out of other options." Damn it! Kakashi knew it! He knew it!

Honestly, he should just shove everyone out of his home. .After doing so, he'd just chain Sasuke's sexy ass to the bed. And then, he'd screw some good sense back into his gorgeous, though extremely foolish lover.

Now, Itachi's nickname for Sasuke was starting to make more sense. Indeed. The last Uchiha could be extremely foolish when he wanted to be. A trait of his which seemed to span the length of at least two lifetimes!

"Alright, if we're going to do this though…we're going to need to hack into the security system." Karin pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "That's the only way we're going to be able to pull this off."

This was crazy. Note to anyone watching at home, **DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME OR ANYWHERE ELSE!** Kakashi knew that he had been pretty wild in his own youth, but this was utterly ridiculous.

Suigetsu smirks. "And how exactly are we going to do that?"

Karin flips the other college student off and gives him a hair flip for good measure. "You know, I do have more talents than just looking pretty!" Hair flips were not to be trifled with.

Neither were red heads really. Kakashi still remembered Naruto's mother. Kushina was still a force to be reckoned with. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about that!

"Do you really think that you can get us in?" Sasuke looks at Karin.

They were actually serious about this. Kakashi sighs. He was going to have to come along for the ride, he supposed. There was no way that he was going to allow his gorgeous lover to be arrested.

While he might like using handcuffs on Sasuke, he didn't want a police officer to get the same privilege. That was his job. No one else's!

Karin nods. "I can get us in." She looks around warily as if expecting someone to catch them in the act. "It's what comes next that is going to be the hard part." And Kakashi knew at that moment, that truer words had never been spoken.

The History Professor couldn't help, but gaze at Sasuke. He was going to go through with it and they all knew it. He'd do anything to protect Sasuke. That even included blowing up a mad scientist's lab, apparently. Certainly, that had to qualify as an example of true love. Romeo and Juliet could eat their hearts out.


	15. Chapter 15

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Well I know it has been a long time since I last updated this one, but I got side tracked by some of my other stories and was a bit intimidated about the approaching battle scenes. I think I've gotten this figure out now though. Oh and if you're interested, feel free to check out my profile and place your requests. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 15

Thanks to Shino's earlier bugging efforts, Sasuke knew that Karin was going to have a far easier time hacking into the security system than could have reasonably been expected otherwise. That didn't make him any less nervous though. They were about to do something incredibly foolish, after all.

"You know as much as the idea of destroying his lab does appeal to me, it may not be the wisest course of action." Itachi sighs as he looks at the rest of the team with wary eyes.

Well he did have a point. They would have to explain any explosion and there was a chance innocent bystanders could get hurt.

Though that didn't mean Sasuke knew what the Hell they could do about that. "Did you have a plan in mind?" Itachi was good at shit like that! Planning!

Suigetsu laughs his ass off at Sasuke's question. "You should know by now that your brother is scary. He's always got a plan." Yeah. That was true.

"Well as you're all aware, we've been researching more about the Ninja Era and the various Jutsus that could be used there." Of course. They would have been stupid, if they hadn't. "And practicing some of our more basic techniques that we've remembered from our past lives." Sasuke nods in confirmation. "So I think that I have a plan in mind, that might be exactly what we need to destroy Orochimaru's work without causing an unpleasant aftershock."

Well that sounded good in theory. Though Sasuke could only hope that Itachi had come up with something pretty damn good. Because this wasn't' going to be easy.

"Well we might as well make use of our abilities." Kakashi smiles serenely. "After all, there wouldn't be much point in us having trained to use them, if we were never going to utilize them." Indeed.

They had trained for the past couple months and trained hard. Sasuke doubted that they would ever achieve the level of prowess their past life selves had been able to master, but they had achieved well something.

 _"So you're telling me that Orochimaru has somehow managed to jigger our memories from previous lives loose!" Naruto flailed in outrage._

 _Not that Sauske could blame him. That had been his reaction as well. Though he supposed it really didn't matter. Taka and the blonde needed an explanation now._

 _"Yeah. There's something in the serum that is designed to enlarge charka pathways." But there was a catch to that. "Apparently, chakra is really linked to emotion and it brings subconscious memories to the surface." There was more though. A lot more._

 _Sasuke looked at his lover pleadingly then. Kakashi would be better at explaining this sort of thing than he ever could be._

 _Kakashi sighed and nodded his head in consent. "It seemed that the serum has triggered memories and increased chakra flow. There seems to be a residue around those who have been "exposed." He paused as though not entirely sure how to explain the next part. "Which means anyone who came in contact with test subjects, got a second hand exposure."_

 _Suigetsu blinked at that. He might not have been the most academic person that Sasuke had ever met, but obviously his friend was able to connect the dots in this circumstance._

 _"So you're telling us, that the reason why we've been having these crazy dreams and are getting these abilities is because we're getting secondhand exposure to the serum via chakra signatures?!" Yeah. That was one way to sum it up. "Cause that's freaking crazy."_

 _Itachi sighed, apparently having decided that it was necessary to step in. "It may sound crazy, but it's true." And well, that settled it._

 _If Itachi thought it was real, the rest of Taka followed suit. Before long, everyone was practicing on some of their more basic techniques they had used in their past lives._

 _"I can use nature chakra!" Jugo smiled as he produced an axe._

 _Karin blinked. "Put that thing down before you poke someone's eye out!" Obviously, the red headed woman was feeling a little uneasy about having such a potentially deadly weapon so close to her._

 _Sugietsu laughed at Karin's fear. "Holy shit! This is awesome!" He turned into water. "I can turn into water and I'm pretty sure that I'm a total badass with a sword!"_

 _Karin grumbled as she tried to sense chakra. "Well no one is going to bite me!" Right. Whatever._

 _Sasuke couldn't really begrudge the woman not wanting to become a human chew toy. That had to suck. A lot._

 _"My Sharingan is active as well." Though Itachi sounded a bit disappointed. "No Mangekyo though."_

 _From what Sasuke had read about the Sharingan, that was only to be expected. They simply hadn't gone through the same level of trauma at this life. Secondhand exposure to it, just wouldn't produce a Mangekyo._

 _Anko stepped in. "Well the regular Sharingan and our other abilities should be more than enough." She smirked at them. "After all, we're just dealing with Orochimaru and Kabuto. We aren't waging a war."_

 _That was a good point and so, Operation Hydra continued. Training became something they did regularly. While Sasuke knew it was unlikely they'd ever reach their previous battle prowess, he felt confident they could handle whatever Orochimaru might throw at them._

"Alright. I'm listening." Naruto grins. "So what's the plan?"

Karin shakes her head. "Well first of all, I'm going to hack into Orochimaru's stuff and copy it before we do anything else." The blonde shoots her a confused look upon hearing that and Sasuke just shakes his head.

"He's given multiple people injections, Naruto." The youngest Uchiha sighs. "We need to know who else might have been impacted."

After hearing that, Naruto nods as Sugietsu and Jugo watch Karin on the computer like a hawk. What they thought they were going to do, Sasuke didn't know. Though he didn't begrudge them wanting to feel like they were helping her.

"Are you sure that you're ready for this?" Kakashi places his hand on Sasuke's shoulder comfortingly.

Sasuke nods at him. "I'm ready for this because I have to be." And out of the corner of his eye, the young man notes that his brother was nodding at him approvingly for that comment.

Probably because it was true. Failure wasn't an option. There was no way they were going to let a madman like Orochimaru get his hands on this much power. If history was any indication, he had a tendency to abuse such things.

Meanwhile Orochimaru was celebrating his latest success with Kabuto. "The serum is working." He smirks at that thought as the two of them enjoy a fancy dinner, toasting to their success.

"Yes, it is." The silver haired man nods in agreement.

They had many test subjects now. Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Sakura, Haku, Gaara, Kankuro, Temari, Lee, Neji, and Tenten, were by far their most promising subjects at the moment though.

There were also the second hand exposures to consider. Kurenai, Asuma, Guy, Naruto, Jugo, Karin, Suigetsu, and perhaps Anko.

He never would have imagined such a thing was possible, but it was. "We'll have to alert the Dean about this shortly." The woman had been trying her best to shut down his research, but he wouldn't allow it.

That and he had far too many interested clients. Even if Tsunade shut him down, Orochimaru was quite certain that he'd just continue his efforts elsewhere. Of course, it would be annoying to move. Still, he could manage it as long as he had the serum, the materials to make it, and his notes.

"Of course." Kabuto smiles at him as he sips on his wine.

He had been afraid for a time that Kabuto might become more of a liability than the asset he normally was, but it seemed Orochimaru's fears were largely unfounded in this respect. It was only natural that the T.A. would be nervous about this. They were after all, breaking new ground in the field!

Orochimaru bites into his steak and smiles. "It seems that their chakra pathways are all enlarging rather quickly and some chakra has begun to flow!" This was truly an amazing success!

He was going to be in the history books soon. The Medical Professor just knew it. It was only a matter of time.

"Indeed." Kabuto shakes his head. "Though I do wonder about the Uchiha Brothers, Sasuke's friends, and Kakashi." Orochimaru nods in agreement. "I doubt they would tell us, if they were regaining their ability to utilize chakra though Kakashi's and Sasuke's pathways are expanding the fastest of anyone with direct exposure."

They hadn't been able to measure secondhand exposure though and that was regrettable to say the least. Still, Orochimaru was rather pleased with the results they had been able to obtain thus far.

This was only the beginning though. He had plans in place. Grand ones. Now, it was time to act on them!

Back with the members of Operation Hydra, Karin sighs in relief. "Alright. I've got them." She quickly prints off the information and has Jugo dispose of the laptop she had used to hack into Orochimaru's system.

"That's rather impressive." Kakashi blinks as he watches Jugo crush the thing in his bare hands. "It seems that I'm not the only one who has gotten stronger thanks to the exposure."

Jugo smiles at him. "These experiments aren't all bad, but in the wrong hands they're far too dangerous to be allowed." Well that was certainly the truth. "So what's the plan."

"Everyone down gloves." Kakashi begins passing around the box of gloves. "We don't want to leave any fingerprints behind, if we can help it."

Itachi raises an eyebrow and the silver haired man knew why. He was obviously expecting more of an explanation than that. And well, the History Professor was more than in the mood to giv ehim one.

"And then?" He looks at him pointedly.

Kakashi grins at Itachi. "We've figured out how to use the Transformation Jutsu. So we'll have two of our people go in and destroy anything that is important and the rest will serve as guards or distractions to ensure that no one comes in or out of place, except for us."

"Mmm. Good job, Sasuke." Anko pats him on the back. "Not only did you land yourself a hottie, but you also found someone with brains. That's pretty hard to do. Not everyone is as lucky as us." She blows a kiss at Itachi, making the older Uchiha blush.

"You two are dating?" Suigetsu blinks.

Itachi rolls his eyes, much to Kakashi's amusement. Well that was an interesting subject to tease the other Uchiha bout later. For now, they had a mission to focus on.

"Nevermind that." Kakashi smiles cheerfully. "We've got a mission to do!" He places his hand in the center of all of them. "Operation Hydra is now in full effect!" And the others lay their hands on top of his and they raise them in a celebratory gesture.

Now that they had dotted their I's and crossed their T's, it was time to destroy Orochimaru's lab. Well perhaps not destroy, but at least take anything of value.

Elsewhere Gaara frowns as he winces. Not again. He kept getting these headaches and strange daydreams.

 _"Is that you talking or is it Orochimaru's brainwashing?" He glared at a silver haired youth with green eyes, wearing a strange outfit._

 _He wasn't alone though. Lee was by his side. Though he was wearing really bizarre clothes. Green spandex._

 _It was obvious they were fighting together though. They were fighting this man. Who for some reason, the red head felt a surge of pity for._

 _"Orochimaru saved me. You would never understand." And with that, he used his own BONES to attack them._

"Gaara, are you okay?" Temari looks at him in concern. "Did it happen again?"

He wasn't really sure what was in that serum exactly, but they had all been getting these daydreams lately. Hallucinations is what he called them. Likely just a side effect of their widening chakra pathways.

"Yes." Many of his daydreams or whatever one wanted to call them were far form pleasant, though they had gradually been getting happier. "It happened again."

Kankuro shakes his head in disgust. "We really need to swing by Orochimaru's lab tomorrow. This is starting to get more than a little freaky." Sadly, Gaara couldn't agree more.

This was so bizarre. Why did these hallucinations feel so real? It was almost like they were actual memories more than anything.

That couldn't be possible though. These daydreams always took place in the Ninja Era and that had ended hundreds of years ago. There was no way that any of them could have possibly been alive back then. So why did they keep coming?

"I agree." Temari sighs and shakes her head. "The extra money is certainly nice, but it isn't worth this."

Yeah. His sister was right about that and lately, strange things had been happening. He could control sand now and his sister had an affinity for wind. And well Kankuro's puppets were…disturbingly lifelike lately.

"We'll talk to him first thing in the morning then." He shakes his head. "It's too late tonight."

Kankuro nods in agreement. "Yeah and maybe we should talk to some of the other volunteers." That was a good point. "I'm not sure any of us really knew what we were getting into here when we signed up for this crazy stuff." And that just might be the understatement of the century.

A short while later, Operation Hydra was in full effect. In a strange way, Itachi was rather impressed really.

Naruto, Suigetsu, Jugo, and Kakashi were operating as guards. Keeping everyone away that might stray too close. Karin and Anko were both watching the security cameras and were ready to alert the guards and them of any divergence in their plans. And then, there was him and Sasuke.

They had both used the Transformation Jutsu to utterly change their appearance. Unfortunately, that meant his foolish little brother now looked like Kabuto and well, he got the short end of the stick. Itachi now looked exactly like Orochimaru.

"How do we look?" Sasuke glances at Kakashi.

Kakashi shakes his head and chuckles. "You look exactly like Kabuto." He smiles slyly at his lover. "Which means the sooner this mission is over, the better." Sasuke just rolls his eyes at what he called Kakashi's childish behavior and then turns his attention towards Itachi.

"We've got our plan in place." He heads towards the lab. "Now, we just have to act on it."

The two of them had been chosen because Itachi was a doctor and Sasuke was a medical student. They had a better understanding of what was important and what wasn't. That and well, some of their friends weren't exactly the most stealthy individuals.

Naruto and Suigetsu in particular were essentially the opposite of stealth. Karin wasn't bad as long as you kept her away from Sugietsu though, Itachi muses.

They were each wearing earpieces to keep in constant contact with Karin and Anko. "Alright." He takes a deep breath as he locks the door behind them, noticing that the security camera had just been shut off. "How good is your control over your Fire Jutsus?"

Sasuke smirks at Itachi. "That's definitely one thing that I've mastered." Good. That was very good.

"Excellent because it would seem smart to just burn any of the papers." It was the chemicals that were going to prove more difficult to manage.

Anko watches the security screen with Karin nervously. This was it. They were finally going to get back at Orochimaru!

"Damn it!" She hisses under her breath as she sees someone lingering in the halls. "Why now?!"

Karin shoots her a reassuring look as she points to the monitor. "Don't worry." She soon saw why. "Kakashi has totally got this."

Indeed the silver haired man appeared to be calmly escorting off the student and chatting him up about of all things, the weather. "Well whatever works." Anko rolls her eyes at the rather comical image.

"Fireball Jutsu." Sasuke summons a small fireball as he grabs of the folders. "Make sure to collect the ash in a can or something." They didn't want to leave any trace for Orochimaru to find.

Itachi shakes his head at his younger brother and clucks his tongue rather disapprovingly. "I'm not an amateur, Sasuke." He smirks as he copies his brother's actions, burning more of the folders. Both of them quickly catching the ash in cans and placing them into the suitcase as they went along.

The papers were going to be the easiest parts. It was the chemical stuff and the serum that really needed disposed of. If they smashed the vials and containers though that would be too obvious.

"How are we going to get rid of this stuff?" Sasuke looks around, his Sharingan fully activated as adrenaline pumps through his veins.

Itachi shakes his head as he gestures towards a brief case. "We just shove it in there and we'll worry about disposing of it later!" Right.

That was a good point. "Alright. Make sure to do a thorough sweep." They couldn't leave even one small vial of that serum behind because that would be enough for Orochimaru to analyze and start again.

"He really is such a freak." Sasuke sighs.

 _Sasuke was disgusted by him. Flashes of Sugietsu in that damn tank and all the screams he heard from his time in the Sound were never far from his mind as he and Taka continued traveling._

 _He might not have a great deal of love for his team, but he knew what sort of sick things Orochimaru was capable of. Experimentation on people like Jugo had allowed him to achieve much. Such as the curse mark._

 _"He just didn't care." Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the thought._

 _Not that he was the most empathetic person. Killing Itachi took priority over everything, butt he had never deliberately set out to hurt someone just for the sake of it. He did it for revenge. Not for pleasure or out of a hunger for pure without reason._

 _He was glad he had done it. Images of that sickly snake still haunted his dreams occasionally. Orochimaru in the end, hadn't even really been human. He had done him a favor by killing him._

He had been trying to ignore it, but the images of Orochimaru's death and those gruesome experiments, were enough to turn even Sasuke's stomach. Somehow, he manages to stay on his feet, but only just.

"Sasuke, looks like he's going to be sick." Itachi uses the ear device. "I think we've got everything that we need here." He looks at Sasuke. "Let's get going!"

Sasuke nods. They were about to go when Karin starts screaming through the devices. "I can see Orochimaru and Kabuto!" A lot. "They're coming down the hall. We're going to have our team stall them, but you need to go now!"

The youngest Uchiha's eyes widen. "Shit! We can't go out the door. They'll see us running down the hall!" He felt himself panic!

Itachi shakes his head. "More of my memories have been coming back recently." He sighs as he looks at Sasuke. "It seems that Shisui taught me a rather useful trick. It's called the Body Flicker. Hold onto the suit case and my hand!"

Sasuke nods at his brother dumbly. He didn't know exactly what the Body Flicker was, but it was their only shot. "Alright. Do it!" He takes hold of Itachi's hand and the suitcase which was now stuffed with God only knows how many chemicals!

Itachi Flickers them off and a moment later, they appear back in Sasuke's room. "Quick! Dispel the Jutsu!" Sasuke nods as he does so and he falls over on the bed.

His brother swiftly followed his example. "That was a close one." They were still getting the hang of using chakra. While using the Transformation Jutsu for the better part of an hour and making fireballs might have been easy for their past selves, it wasn't for them. They had only been using chakra for a couple months!

"Try your best not to be seen by Kabuto and Orochimaru." Sasuke's voice is heard through the earpieces. "We made it out okay and are back in my room."

That's when Karin and Anko quickly slip off to a nearby empty room to wait until the coast was clear. Neither of them wanted to risk getting caught by Orochimaru and Kabuto.

"We see them." Anko's voice was scarcely more than a whisper. "We're heading back now."

More voices were soon heard. "Yeah. We're good. We ducked into some spare rooms." Suigetsu's voice. Definitely Suigetsu.

""We'll be back soon." Kakashi's mere presence reassured Sasuke tremendously that somehow, they were going to get through this. "We just don't want to get caught lurking around on the night his stuff goes missing."

That was a good point. They'd hacked into the security systems, but it was only Sasuke and Itachi who used the Transformation Jutsu. You couldn't have too many Orochimaru's and Kabuto's running around. That would only attract suspicion.

"We've got this!" Naruto. "Believe it!" Definitely Naruto.

Jugo soon chimed in as well though. "I think it's clear. We need to head off to our own dorms or safer locations quickly." It wouldn't be long until Orochimaru and Kabuto figured out what happened to their lab.

"Alright. Stay safe." Itachi adds and Sasuke nods in agreement.

Well that was that. If their friends could manage not to get caught, they should be home free. Sure, the Medical Professor might be suspicious, but without fingerprints or footage of them there, he'd have no proof and that was all that matters.

That was the last thought on Sasuke's mind before he fell asleep. If he had known the complete and utter chaos that was about to hit in the following days, he wouldn't have. He didn't though and that's why the former ninja slept like a baby.


	16. Chapter 16

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** A month has passed since the last chapter.

Chapter 16

A month had passed since they sacked Orochimaru's lab and so far, it looked like they were going to get away with it. There had also been a surprising development with the other test subjects and a few people who had had secondhand exposure. They had gotten at least some of their abilities and memories back as well.

"So you're telling me that you attacked his lab?" Gaara raises an eyebrow.

It was easy to understand his skepticism. The red head probably thought they had somehow managed to blow it up without anyone noticing. Which to be fair had been their initial plan.

Kakashi chuckles at other man's expression. "In a manner of speaking. We didn't injure anyone. We just made sure that he lost access to all his research on this particular project." Thank goodness for his lover who was a much better summarizer in situations like this than Sasuke was!

Temari looked more than a little skeptical at that and so did Kankuro. Her other brother. Again, the younger Uchiha Brother certainly didn't hold this against them. It was a lot to take in.

"And he hasn't come after you for that?" Temari tilts her head in confusion.

Itachi glances around the Campus Park to make sure no one was within ear range. "He probably suspects that we had something to do with it, but he has no proof." His brother was smart like that.

To anyone else, it looked like a beautiful day to enjoy the park. There were kids laughing in the background and all of the standard park equipment like jungle gyms, slides, and swingsets gave the place a deceptively innocent appearance. Their conversation though was anything, but innocent.

"Yeah. We went all ninja on his ass!" Suigetsu grins as some of his companions make a disgusted face.

Shikamaru sighs and was amongst them. "What a drag!" He gives the violet eyed youth a dirty look. "Can you please not say the phrase 'go ninja on his ass in regards to Orochimaru, again?" Yeah. That did bring about some disturbing mental images.

Ino and Sakura both nod in agreement rather vigorously. Suigetsu had really stepped in it with that comment.

"Right." Suigetsu sighs and shakes his head. "Sorry, guys."

The younger generation weren't the only ones who were here though. There was Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, Guy, and Anko as well. They really weren't all that much older, but well the age gap were just big enough that Sasuke was sure they technically counted as an older generation.

Of course, the lines between generations weren't always clear. Wait. He was getting distracted here.

Asuma was the first to get over the gross mental images, it seemed. "Well we were all exposed and gained at least some of our memories back." He pauses for a moment before getting to his main point. "And our abilities."

"Neither of which do we really know will last without more exposure to the serum." Kurenai nods at her husband.

Neji nods and frowns at that. The other prodigy was standing next to Tenten, Lee, and Guy. It really did seem that there were echoes of their past lives all around them. They had all naturally segregated themselves based on their previous affiliations. Ssauke didn't know whether to find that comforting or creepy in all honesty.

Finally, the lavender eyed man apparently decides to voice his fears. "Which is frightening. We don't know how this will impact us in the long run. It's possible that without any further exposure all of this could go away." That was true.

Did Sasuke want it to though? It was obvious that his past life was highly traumatic, but he had new abilities now. Useful ones and it was also romantic to know that he and Kakashi were connected in one life. (And mildly amusing/disturbing to know the same about Taka and Team Seven)!

"It could be that since our chakra networks are so closely tied to emotion now and that we've been stimulating them, that it's all permanent though." Anko glances at them all warily. "We don't know. I suspect it's the latter, but we have to go on the assumption it's the former."

Great. So they knew absolutely nothing. That wasn't terribly reassuring!

Idly, Sasuke notes a child was going down the big slide. It was cute. He wished that they were here for a day at the park rather than plotting.

"W-We should probably all take notes and hide them." The shy girl known as Hinata had an idea. "J-Just in case. We don't know if we lose our memories, if everyone will react the same way."

That was a good point. "Orochimaru might keep his while ours go away." Shino pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Are you sure that you got rid of all the serum?"

Naruto huffs at that question. Oh boy. Sasuke knew what was coming and it wasn't anything good.

"OF COURSE, WE DID! WHAT KIND OF IDIOTS DO YOU TAKE US FOR!" Yes. The Uzumaki Scream. "SHEESH!" And now, they were all being given some rather funny looks.

Wonderful. He loved Naruto like another brother, but the idiot really needed to learn to shut his mouth sometimes! He was going to get them caught at this rate!

It took a few minutes, but eventually people decide to ignore them. "Looks like they got everything." And Choji was the peacemaker of the group.

"Remember, a wounded animal is at their most dangerous." Haku's doe eyes look around warily. "And Professor Sannin is most assuredly that."

He had a point. There was a good chance that Orochimaru would lose funding for his project soon, if he hadn't already. Everyone had gradually withdrawn from his project to make it less suspicious.

Assuming that he was able to replicate any of that from memory, he only had two testing subjects left. Himself and Kabuto.

"If he gets his funding yanked, he's probably going to come after us." Jugo sighs.

Unfortunately, Sasuke really couldn't disagree with him there. There was only one question. What were they going to do about it, if it happened?

Tenten crosses her arms. "Well that creep doesn't have anything on us legally." Legally was the keyword. "He has no proof. So what is he really going to do?

"As much as he repulses me, in his previous life he was a powerful ninja." Kakashi shakes his head. "Assuming that he also regained some of his abilities and that he lashes out in a rage, it wouldn't be wise to underestimate him."

Lee just grins in response. "Don't worry!" He was always grinning though. "If he tries anything, the Power of Youth will stop him!"

"What does that even mean?!" Karin, Sakura, and Ino's voices joined together as one to voice the very same question that Sasuke himself had been thinking.

Tenten shakes her head. It was obvious that she had also been wondering that question. Likely for years.

"The Power of Youth is the Power of Youth!" Guy strikes a dramatic pose and everyone rubs the back of their heads sheepishly.

Well Lee and Guy might be charitably eccentric or maybe borderline crazy, but they were happy. Happy and their hearts were in the right place. And really, that was al that mattered.

"Right. Well we have some planning to do." Sasuke shakes his head. "If he does attack with Jutsus, we have to be prepared to counter attack."

The others nod their head excitedly and it was at that moment, that the younger Uchiha Brother realized one very important thing. Once a ninja, always a ninja.

On the other side of the Campus, Orochimaru punches a hole through his lab wall. He couldn't believe this! He had lost funding for his most promising project!

"Orochimaru!" Kabuto watches him in horror. "I know that it's upsetting, but you're only hurting yourself!"

He didn't care though. The Medical Professor had never been so furious in all of his life! This was unbelievable!

Someone had snuck into his lab and destroyed all his work. Not only had they stolen his serum, but they'd stolen his notes! He had to start over from memory and that just wasn't cutting it.

Things only got worse from there though! "Kabuto, I know that you're only trying to help, but I need to be alone right now." All of his testing subjects had quit! This was madness.

True, they hadn't quit all at once. Still, they were all gone. The only people he could test now were himself and Kabuto. Which might have been fine, if he could remember the exact amounts of all the ingredients that he had put into that serium, but he couldn't!

His memory was excellent, but it was not infallible. This was why human beings had developed writing. To remember things!

"Are you sure that you're going to be alright?" His assistant looks at him with worried eyes.

Orochimaru feels himself twitch. Maybe, it was a side effect. Maybe, he was just going through withdrawal from the serum, but he felt so violent lately. Kabuto might not know it, but he was playing with fire.

Still, he grits his teeth. "I'll be fine. Just go!" It wasn't the silver haired man's fault that his life's ambitions were going up in smoke.

"Alright." The Teaching Assistant nods at him. "If you need anything though, call me. I don't care what time it is." At the end of the day, Orochimaru could always count on one thing. Kabuto's loyalty.

That was why he didn't lash out at the man in a violent rage. He knew that the bespectacled academic was only concerned for his well-being. That didn't mean that Kabuto wasn't pushing his luck though.

"Of course." Orochimaru nods, trying to cool his fury. "Now go!" And with that, the other researcher quickly makes a wise departure.

Which meant Orochimaru was left alone to his own thoughts. Thoughts that were now taking a very dark turn. He remembered now. He remembered everything or more than enough to realize who was likely responsible for his destroyed lab. Sasuke Uchiha.

 _He was laying sick on a bed. Coughing up blood, when he heard a loud nose and saw a bright blue light pierce through the door and a sword cut through the rest of the way._

 _That light was known as the Chidori. Sasuke's trademark attack. It seemed that his student had come to betray him._

 _"You're weaker than me now. I was willing to give you my body, if it meant I could have my revenge." The Chidori pierced through his arm as he held up his arms to defend himself. "Now, that I'm stronger than you, there is no need to do that. And I don't like the way you do things."_

 _He could only stare in horror as he watched Sasuke come closer to him. Slowly unsheathing his sword. "You slither off from one hide out to the next, conducting experiments. Toying with people's lives, for your own selfish reasons."_

 _Sasuke raised his sword at him, but Orochimaru struck first. He ejected himself out of his body and turned into a giant white snake A struggle ensued, but he captured Sasuke into the dimension of his body where the ritual would take place. Only to have Sasuke take control of the dimension and to consume him._

"He betrayed me once." He would do it again.

Unfortunately, he still didn't have any proof. Still at the very least, Orochimaru would get his revenge on that Uchiha. He and his brother would make excellent subjects for dissection. There was so much that he could learn about the Sharingan fro them.

He just had to plan everything very carefully. Kakashi was forever lurking about with Sasuke now and it was more likely than not that the CopyCat Ninja was at least partially aware of what had happened in their previous lives. He'd never let Sasuke out of his sight.

"Patience is a virtue." A ninja must wait for the right time to strike.

At that same moment, Tsunade sighs while conducting a board meeting. They really were such tedious things to do, but they were necessary.

"Seeing as Dr. Sannin has not made any significant progress and has lost his testing subjects, we decided to yank his funding for the Chakra Project." That was what she had mentally dubbed it and well, there was no need for elaboration beyond that point.

Everyone understood what she meant. They had all seen the flyers and the name was self-explanatory. She was quite frankly relieved that the project had been a failure.

There was no telling what that man was capable of, especially with that sort of power in his hands. She might not be an expert on the Ninja Era, but what little she did know was more than enough to make the hairs on the back of her head stand up.

A government official sighs. "We fully understanding why you have decided to do so and have come to a similar conclusion." No doubt, he saw all the potential applications of chakra and was saddened that Dr. Sannin's experiments hadn't worked out.

"Yes, it's a shame." She nods as she sips her coffee. "Well that's life, I suppose." The busty blonde smiles at the other board members. "You win some and you lose some."

They nod in agreement and Tsunade allows herself to relax. They had adverted a major disaster.

Several hours later, they were still at the park. It was late at night and they were the only ones around. A few weeks ago, they had all decided these would be their new training grounds.

"Most of Orochimaru's most dangerous abilities were the result of years of training and experimentation." Sasuke sighs and shakes his head. "So we should be safe from those, but he was still formidable as Kakashi said."

Temari nods at that. "Right. Well we'll still get to practicing anyway." Thank goodness they had all seen reason.

Kakashi hated this. He hated not knowing when that bastard was going to strike or if he was even going to strike at all. Though they had a large group of people and all of them had been powerful ninjas in their own right. They'd win a fight, if it came down to it.

"Well I can handle Shadow Clones and I'm working on trying to figure out the Rasengan." Naruto looks a little sheepish at that. "It takes a lot of chakra though. So I'm not sure if I'm gonna get that one working again."

Itachi looks equally bashful about his own circumstances. "Without the Mangekyo, I've been a bit limited in my abilities. I still am quite good at Taijutsu and Genjutsu though. I wish I could use my tsukuyomi though."

That was still something. Kakashi had been known as the CopyCat Ninja in his previous life. He had a wide variety of Jutsus at his disposal. Though it was unclear how many of them he would be able to use in this life and how fast.

Hinata and Neji look at each other. "We could try Gentle Fist, but that might put him in cardiac arrest or not work at all, depending on where we strike." Kakashi winces at that.

Did they really want to kill Orochimaru? He wasn't sure if that was their end goal. It would be far better, if he was imprisoned. This wasn't the Ninja Era. There were laws against killing people and trying to argue self-defense in a court about something like this, wouldn't end well.

"I would avoid the Gentle Fist, if you're not certain about the application." Asuma shakes his head and the Hyugas nod in agreement.

"Well he's really outnumbered either way." Kiba grins at them. "We've totally got this!"

The silver haired man could only hope that was the case. As much as he wanted to protect Sasuke from Orochimaru, he knew the truth. This just wasn't about them and their friends. This was about something bigger.

If Orochimaru was able reactivate chakra networks, it was going to change everything. Of course, there would be some benefits. Medical ones stuck out in particular, but the Ninja Era had largely been one of conflict.

When you gave people a weapon, they generally used it. "Well lets make sure to practice, just in case." He didn't like it, but it was more likely than not that their skills would be put to the test.

"Right." Sasuke nods as he kisses Kakashi's cheek and looks at him.

He didn't say it out loud, but the History Professor knew exactly what the other man was trying to convey. 'Don't worry. We'll fix this.'

Sasuke really did have such a wonderfully expressive face. Most of the time it was stoic, but whenever he wasn't the results were rather mesmerizing to say the least (and more often than not absolutely adorable).

Naturally, Kakashi knew better than to say that out loud. Sasuke would sulk like a cat and probably banish him to the couch. (Even if it was Kakashi's place)! Uchihas were as sexy as they were vengeful!

At that moment, Orochimaru was walking around campus when he stumbles upon the park. That's when he sees all of them and his eyes narrow.

So it looked like his testing subjects really had joined up with Sasuke. That couldn't be allowed, especially not when so many of them were displaying Jutsus.

"I should call Kabuto here, but it might be too late." He frowns as he consider it.

For the moment, he would observe them. It was best to see what they were capable of before rushing in. He might not be as strong as he was in a previous life, but he didn't have to be.

After all, they weren't either. The odds weren't in his favor due to the fact they outnumbered him, but Orochimaru knew how to even that out. There was one Jutsu that he had mastered in the short time since his memories had returned that might prove very useful in this situation.

He'd have to play this carefully, of course. While the Tailed Beasts weren't an issue in this area, Gaara's sand was and he knew more than enough about the abilities of the others to realize that they were also a threat.

"Lee and Guy's taijutsu could be an issue, if I take them head on." He tilts his head as if considering that fact.

There was also Naruto, Sasuke's, and even Kakashi's chakra reserves that could be an issue. Not to mention Sugietsu and Jugo had rather useful bloodlines in their own right and Karin could potentially heal any injuries they received. Annoying.

"And Anko was my student in more than one life." She could prove problematic, depending on how many of her own memories had returned.

That was only just scraping the surface though. All of these ninjas had been Jonin Level and there were two skilled Genjutsu Users to boot. Which meant he was going to have to overwhelm them all with a surprise attack.

"I couldn't sleep. So I decided to go for a walk around campus." A voice startles him from his internal musings. "Orochimaru, what are you doing here?"

The Medical Professor tilts his head and blinks upon finding that Kabuto was standing right next to him. How that was possible, he didn't know? He must have been really lost in his own thoughts and too focused on them. He'd dropped his guard. Oh well. At least it was only Kabuto out for a walk and not campus security!

That could have been a fatal mistake in another era, but thankfully that wasn't the case in this one. Well at least that wasn't the case with Kabuto. Still, it was good that he was there.

He smirks at Kabuto. "I'm getting my revenge for Sasuke destroying my work and I'll be able to dissect them all to learn more about the chakra network reactivation process!" Surely, his friend would understand that this had to be done for science.

"Orochimaru, you're just upset." His eyes widen. "You don't know what you're saying. You aren't actually going to kill them and dissect these people!" Hmm. That was a shame.

It looked like his assistant wasn't going to assist him in this matter. The odds that Orochimaru would be able to convince him to join him seemed rather low and even lower that he wouldn't try to warn them (or worse alert the authorities).

He knew exactly what he was doing and he wasn't going to allow Kabuto to stop him! "Kabuto, it has to be done in the name of science." And revenge, but mostly science. "You know how valuable their bodies are at this point and I can't recreate my serum as is. Though I might be able to, if there are still traces of it inside them!"

"Orochimaru, stop this! This is madness!" Perhaps, but it was in the name of science. "I know that you're angry about your work and I am as well, but you have no proof and there is no way you can possibly kill that many people!"

Orochimaru just smirks at him. "Oh there is. I believe you've underestimated me." He'd learned so much since his memories came back and in particular there was one Jutsu that he had learned. "Summoning Jutsu!" And with that, the park quaked slightly as a massive snake appeared.

"Why did you Summon me!" It was Aoda.

Manda was dead, so Orochimaru had to summon the other snake. He doubted that would be an issue though. He was the one who had Summoned the beast and it was unlikely Aoda would even remember Sasuke at this point.

"I need you to subdue or kill my foes. I care not which. Just as long as their bodies remain largely intact." Orochimaru smirks as Kabuto stares in horror as the snake slithers towards the large group of former ninjas.

That wouldn't stop him though. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'RE JUST DONE?!" Kabuto snarls at Orochimaru.

That was a shame. Kabuto really was going to betray him it seemed. No matter. There were other ways to kill someone besides Jutsus.

Orochimaru punches Kabuto and stabs his neck with a needle. The tiny needle was filled with a special poison that would kill him.

"It's such a shame that after all this time, you chose now to betray me." He sighs as he watches Kabuto's body slump over. "Science is not for the faint of heart though."

Fortunately, the park's trees were big and numerous. Aoda was large, but not so large that anyone who happened to be nearby would see him over them. This would work out perfectly.

"Revenge and immortality shall be mine at last." He smiles as he watches the serpent advance towards the unsuspecting group.


	17. Chapter 17

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Oh and to the Guest Reviewer who just asked for a Sasuke x Hinata fic with Genin to Post War Transition or a Sasuke x Hinata Sound Fic, I will consider your request. Though it may take a bit to post, if I do it. I hope that you all enjoy the battle chapter and the epilogue which is coming up in Chapter 18!

 **Chapter Notation:** I got a little creative with attack names and abilities as this is a new life. They wouldn't all necessarily come up with the same names or manifest their abilities in exactly the same way as before.

Chapter 17

One moment, everything was going normally for their training and the next thing Kakashi knew there was a massive snake coming at them! A snake that was the size of a building. It was nothing short of a miracle that the trees were larger than it.

"It looks like Orochimaru has decided to make his move!" Kakashi's eyes narrow at the creature. "Water Dragon!" It was something that he had learned during his training sessions.

He doubted that he'd be able to maintain it for long or that it was truly a match for the mighty beast, but it might buy them some precious time. The time that they would need to figure out a way slay it!

Sugietsu blinks at the giant thing and raises his hands. "Yeah. That's flashy and everything, Kakashi." That really wasn't the point! "But I think we're going to need something a lot less subtle than that! "Water Bullets!" He fires off several shots of his dangerous Water Bullets.

The snake manages to dodge most, but howls in pain when a few strike. Kakashi could see blood sliding down from a few bullet wounds on the beast. He almost felt sorry for it.

"Take this!" Jugo had already formed an axe made of chakra and was charging at the creature though.

They weren't the only ones joining the fray though. It seemed the girls had teamed up. They were all clustered rather tightly together and getting out their kunais.

"Alright." Anko looks at Temari. "Lets see what you can do with that fan of yours to amplify our attacks."

Temari had made herself a new fan and had been practicing with her wind attacks since the truth came out. Where the girls had gotten or when the girls had made kunais, Kakashi wasn't sure. He supposed that it was best not to ask too many questions when it came to things like that.

Women could be very scary sometimes. He was actually somewhat relieved that he was in love with Sasuke as the their leading ladies so to speak hurled their kunais at the massive reptile and Temari's fan sent them flying faster and higher than the kunais had any right to go.

"If you surrender, I won't kill you." The Snake Summon howls in pain as some of the kunais slice or stab into its scales.

Kakashi wasn't sure what was more terrifying. The fact that it talked or that the massive monster was currently thrashing its mighty tail around in pain. Smashing some trees and judging by the sound a sickening scream and crunch he had heard, it had broken at least one of Shikamaru's legs!

Orochimaru smirks as he makes himself known. "I've given him permission to kill though. You should make things easier on yourselves and surrender now!" That bastard!

This wasn't even the animal's fault. Not really. He was a Summon. It was his job to follow orders!

"THE POWER OF YOUTH WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED!" And perhaps predictably, Lee and Guy didn't respond well to that. "Take this!" Because the two Green Beasts charge at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru just smirks. "Aoda, protect me!" Probably intent on attacking the despicable professor, but even their mighty strikes couldn't get past the snake's well tail strike.

Their blows were powerful and clearly hurt the snake. Though Aoda was just bigger. That much was obvious as he sends them flying backwards straight into a tree.

"I'm sorry, but I must obey my Master." The poor creature was being controlled!

Kankuro was the first to respond to that. "Sorry, but I won't let you hurt my friends!" He unleashes his puppets.

He'd made about a dozen of them in the past month. They were all human sized and advancing on Aoda. Unfortunately for him, while they did appear to hurt the snake, it wasn't enough. Aoda crushes them with his mighty tail and captures Kankuro in his mouth.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Choji turns himself into a giant bull and knocks into the snake, forcing Aoda to release Kankuro from his mouth!

Sasuke watches in horror as Karin races over to the puppet master who had just been spat out of the serpent's mouth. He could see some blood It was possible that Aoda had accidentally "nicked" their friend.

"Bite me!" Karin helps Kankuro up, helping him to bite down on her shoulder. "It will heal you!"

 _"Bite me! Come on!" Sasuke had just finished fighting the Killer Bee and he was severely injured._

 _His injuries probably would have killed him, if it weren't for absorbing Orochimaru and his teammate. Karin. The woman who could heal you, if you bite her._

 _So he did exactly what she bid him to do. "Alright." He bit down on her neck, causing her to moan and his injuries to heal before his eyes._

 _It wasn't perfect. He still had to rest the rest of the night and force himself to travel the next day for fear of getting caught by the Leaf, but it had been enough. Enough to save his life! Her healing powers were incredible!_

"This isn't working!" Sasuke could see Shikamaru gritting his teeth in pain. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!" He was trying to capture the snake's shadow and force it to stop moving.

It was just too big though. He couldn't hold it, but he did hold it long enough to Naruto to enter the fray. "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Suddenly dozens of Narutos were rushing towards the snake.

"You idiot!" He was going to get himself killed!

Aoda just kept coming at the clones though. Smacking them and making them disappear in a puff of smoke, even as they all tried their best to punch him. Sasuke could tell at the very least that Naruto was confusing the beast, but it just wouldn't be enough!

Meanwhile Baki frowns at the strange reports he was receiving. "We're going to have to go and investigate what is going on at the University's Park." He'd received too many reports not to send someone in to at least look!

"Alright." Ibiiki nods at his boss. "How many people do you want to send?"

That was hard to say. It was possible that it was just some University Students who were doing hazing or throwing a wild party. In which case, it probably wouldn't take more than a few cops to send them all running. That or it could be gang activity. In which case, he should send as many as possible.

He pauses for a moment as he considers it. "Send at least a dozen to be on the safe side." Baki was not a man who liked to waste man (or woman) power, but it was best to air on the side of caution in situations like these.

One never knew what you could stumble into at this hour. Honestly, more people were asleep at four in the morning. Anyone up at this hour was an overachiever or had partied way too hard in his opinion the night before. (That or they worked the night shift).

"Alright!" He nods at the Chief. "I'll go and get some of the girls and guys ready." Ibiki smirks at him. "It sounds like tonight could be a really wild night."

Baki couldn't disagree with that. "That may very well be the case." So they had to be careful. "Just don't do anything stupid."

Saying such things was more out of habit than anything else. They were both veterans of the force. If there was anyone that Baki trusted to have their shit together, it was Ibiki.

"Got it, Chief!" And with that, his colleague disappears to organize a team.

He shakes his head as he looks out the window towards the park. Baki couldn't see anything strange going on from this distance, but the trees were so big that they blocked anything that might be going on down there. Unless there was a fire, he wasn't gonna see anything from all the way over here.

"I just hope that he knows what he's doing." Baki sighs as he pours himself another cup of coffee. "Oh well. Might get a head start at looking at these police reports."

Paperwork was so annoying. Unfortunately, it was a necessary evil. While definitely one of the less glamorous aspects of the job, it was something that had to be done and well, that responsibility fell to him.

"I really need a vacation." He sighs.

Orochimaru smirks as he watches his foes challenge Aoda. They wouldn't win. They couldn't possibly win with puny attacks like this.

Aoda was a King of Serpents and whether or not he was happy to be doing his current tasks, didn't matter. The snake was simply too large for them to defeat.

Revenge was a dish best served cold. "Surrender and your deaths shall be painless. " Though victory was going to taste oh so sweet!

"GET EM, AKAMARU!" A boy with brown hair comes flying at him with an overgrown mutt.

His features suddenly became so much more primal though. It must be some kind of Jutsu he decides, but as his claws and the fangs of his dog dug into Aoda's scale, the snake acted in self-defense and sent them both flying with another whack of his tail.

"Kiba!" A lavender eyed girl runs over to her teammate and his dog as a boy with glasses does the same.

Orochimaru smirks. They were all absolutely powerless against the power of his Snake Summon. This was almost too easy!

"I've got them!" The red head with her healing powers was heading towards the group.

To which Orochimaru instructs the snake to hit them. This Karin character was annoying. He could see why her abilities had gained his attention in a previous life and her dissection would likely prove most fascinating, but first he would have to kill her.

"Byakugan!" The bluenette's eyes change as the veins around them become more pronounced and she strikes at the massive reptile. "Gentle Fist!" Temporarily freezing it for just a moment.

"A Thousand Stings of Death!" It didn't last long, but it was enough for her comrade to assist her.

He sent what legitimately did seem to be a thousand bees flying at the snake. While that certainly wouldn't kill an animal his size, it was enough to make the snake retreat from those two. His giant eyes scanning the ground for weaknesses.

"Asuma, Haku, now!" Orochimaru wasn't sure how, but a lavender eyed boy had managed to sneak up by Aoda and was now also using the 'Gentle Fist!'

He was creating an opening for his comrades! "Wind Dance of Blades!" A man with brown eyes and dark hair hurls some sort of wind attack with him to increase the ferocity of his blades!

"Spear of Mirrors!" A doe eyed boy conjures up a spear that appeared to be made of ice or glass and throws it at Aoda.

Luckily, the snake dodged. This was getting to be tedious. Play time was now over!

Itachi's eyes narrow at the scene. "Kurenai, I want you to try to get Orochimaru with your Genjutsu." He'd just have to deal with the snake.

She nods at him. "Right!" And before Orochimaru knew what was going on, Kenji had made herself one with a tree in a Genjutsu and was prepared to strike him as Itachi sent his Genjutsu illusion of crows at Aoda to confuse the poor creature.

Itachi had a Summoning Contract in his previous life. He understood the basics of how they worked. Aoda was at least partially under Orochimaru's control.

That meant the snake wasn't in control of his own actions. At least not completely from what he could see. So he was just following orders.

To say the least, he was conflicted about attacking him. "Stand down!" Itachi was not a man who believed in attacking defenseless animals, but Aoda was hardly defenseless and he had attacked first!

"Sand Burial!" Though it seemed Gaara didn't have that issue.

Out of seemingly nowhere the red head had managed to summon what could only be described as a lot of sand. Itachi could only theorize that he had drawn it from the soil itself.

In this area, the former Kazekage didn't have his gourd. Though it appeared that his affinity for sand was still very much in tact.

"Gaara, wait!" Kakashi's eyes widen in terror. "Not THAT snake, the other snake!"

The university student looked understandably skeptical, but he redirects his attack to Orochimaru. Good. That was good. Maybe, the snake would make it out of this okay despite it's many injuries.

Now, it was time for Sasuke to act. He rushes over to the snake. He recognized this one. Orochimaru wasn't the only one who had a Summoning Contract!

 _"What would you like to me to do, Master Sasuke?" Aoda looked at him as he appeared on the battlefield._

 _It was the final battle. Madara and Obito had sparked another Great Ninja War, but it was one that wouldn't last for long. Not if Sasuke and Naruto had anything to do about it._

 _From his position on his head, he watched as the blonde continued to face off against his mighty ancestor. "Keep moving forward!" There were strange creations blocking their way, but Aoda was swift and nimble. His snake could get him where he needed to be._

 _"Yes, Master Sasuke." And that's exactly what Aoda did._

 _He was always so loyal and eager to please. The great serpent didn't hesitate once as he did exactly as he was commanded and got Sasuke to Naruto's side where he joined the fight in no time._

 _In the end, they would emerge victorious with Madara and usher in a new era. A new era of peace in the Five Great Nations. So great in fact that in time, people would slowly stop using Jutsus all together until even their ability to use chakra became nothing more than a distant memory._

 _Something for historians, scientists, and inquisitive people to wonder about. Nothing more. That was until Orochimaru decided to meddle with things._

"Aoda, stop it!" Orochimaru held a Summoning Contract with snakes, but so did Sasuke.

He wasn't entirely sure how that would work. Was it up to the Summon to decide when two Summoners both hold a Contract with it? Perhaps, Aoda would simply be forced to obey whoever was stronger. That or maybe, the snake had to serve whoever had the most recent Contract.

Sasuke didn't know, but he was about to find out. "Master Sasuke?" Aoda tilts his head in confusion.

Not that the Uchiha could blame the snake. It was likely that he knew human lifespans weren't supposed to last for centuries. Aoda must have been one very bewildered serpent to say the least.

"Yes, it's me." Sorta.

Sasuke wasn't even going to begin to explain about the reincarnation aspect. He wasn't entirely certain that Aoda would understand, even if he tried. What mattered now was dealing with Orochimaru, keeping his friends safe, and hopefully, saving the snake.

Aoda looks at Orochimaru and at Sasuke in confusion. "What are your orders, Master Sasuke?" Clearly, he had no idea what was going on either.

"Sasuke, get that Bastard!" The Uchiha hears his best friend scream at him.

That was exactly what Sasuke was intending to do. The only question was how. Gaara's sand was closing in on Orochimaru, but did they really want to do that? Did they want to kill him in cold-blood?

Yes, he had attacked first. Though this wasn't the Ninja Era. If anyone found his body, that wouldn't be overlooked!

"Sasuke, order Aoda to swallow him whole!" His lover's command pieces through the chaos.

That would solve the problem of what to do with his body. Despite that, Sasuke couldn't help, but feel a pang of pity for the snake. He highly doubted that Orochimaru was going to taste good.

Orochimaru's eyes narrow. "You won't defeat me this time!" He glares at Aoda. "Kill him! Kill Sasuke!"

Before Sasuke could even tell what was going on, a silver blur slams into Orochimaru. Knocking him against the tree.

"Gaara, restrain him!" It was Kakashi!

Kakashi had moved so swiftly that it truly did look like lightning! Sasuke had never seen anything like it! Thank goodness for ninja reflexes!

Gaara nods. "On it!" Soon enough chains of sand bind Orochimaru.

"Let go of me!" His screams was positively inhuman at this point. "You fools! I'm going to be immortal!"

Suigetsu actually laughs. "No one lives forever, you twisted son of a bitch!" And well, Sasuke couldn't disagree with that sentiment!

He smirks as he looks at Aoda. "I'm sorry for this, but swallow him!" There could be no doubt about Orochimaru.

The man would have done it to them. At least this way, they were actually saving the world from a mad scientist in a way. Sasuke would have normally laughed at such a ridiculous idea, but he found that he couldn't. It was simply too accurate in this instance!

"Yes, Master Sasuke." Though it didn't escape his notice that the snake was making a rather disgusted face.

Anko's eyes were cold as ice as she glares at Orochimaru. "Best not to make him eat his prey live. I wouldn't put it past him to find a way to slither out." And with that being said, she hurls a kunai at Orochimaru straight into his heart, killing him instantly.

Aoda looks more than a little grateful at that. "Thank you, My Lady." Before he swallows the Dr. Sannin whole and everyone hears a groan from nearby.

"Aoda, I'm really sorry about all this." He glances at Karin. "I would have her heal you, but I'm not sure that it works on snakes." Sasuke murmurs as he pulls off his shirt and tries to stop the bleeding at his various injuries. "And someone needs check to see who just groaned!

"I'm on it!" Jugo promises Sasuke as he races off to do exactly that.

Kakashi smiles as he notices Aoda smiling at Sasuke. "It's alright, Master Sasuke." That was one forgiving snake! "I've suffered far worse though I am glad to see you are back." He looks at Sasuke in confusion. " I'm not really sure how you're back, but it is good to see you again."

A very, very forgiving and easygoing snake, Kakashi thinks to himself again as Jugo comes back with Kabuto. "Karin, he's gotta bite you!" The silver haired man stares as he sees Kabuto barely clinging to life.

"Coming!" The red headed woman runs over as Jugo awkwardly forces Kabuto to bite her and his eyes slowly flutter open.

Kakashi hadn't been sure that was a good idea, but on second thought it was likely that Orochimaru was the reason why Kabuto was in such a state. Which meant that there was a real chance that the Teaching Assistant had "betrayed" his boss and tried to talk him out of this whole affair!

"Ah!" Kabuto groans as he slowly comes to.

"As much as I'm enjoying the view of a shirtless Sasuke, we've got company!" Ino's warning rings through Kakashi's ears. "And Aoda sticks out a little too much!"

Kakashi had to admit that Ino was right on both counts. He could hear police sirens approaching fast. Though he had no idea what they were going to do with Sasuke's Summon. There was no way to hide him!

"It's alright. I can return from whence I came." Aoda smiles. "Master Sasuke merely has to give the order." Well that was convenient, Kakashi muses to himself.

Sasuke nods at the snake and pets his beautiful, slightly bloodied scales apologetically. "I don't know, if I'll ever be able to see you again. You are a good Summon though." Kakashi was not crying. He was definitely not crying at how sweet this was! "And I'm sorry about all this, but return to your true home! Wherever that is."

That was actually a very good point. Kakashi had no idea where Summons went when they weren't Summoned. It was an interesting question to ponder, he notes as Aoda disappears in a puff of smoke.

"There's no way that we can all get out of here before the police arrive." Sakura frowns at that thought. "So we're going to have to act natural."

Kakashi simply smiles at her as he sees a police car pull up on the edge of the park. "Don't worry, I'll handle this. Everyone dart off." And with that, the silver haired History Professor walks off to go deal with the cops.

"I'm sorry for the disturbance, Officers." He smiles pleasantly at the dozen or so policemen and women who were scattered around. "It seems that some of the university students decided to throw a wild party. I've broken it up." He shakes his head and sighs. "I'm sure that you understand how it is. Kids tend to get out of hand when left to their own devices."

Ibiki's watches Kakashi somewhat suspiciously. "Was anyone hurt?" That was a good question.

The answer was of course, yes. Though the men and women in blue certainly didn't need to know that!

"A couple might have had too much to drink, but I assure you only the sober ones will be driving off." He smiles at him. "Again, I apologize about this. The University will apparently have to start cracking down on this behavior. It is getting a bit out of hand."

Another of the cops tilts her head at him. "Hey! I know you!" She grins at him. "You're the History Professor. You taught one of my son's classes. His name is Sasori!"

Kakashi merely nods at that and smiles. "Yes, he's a fine student." He chuckles. "Though Toxicology is just not my area of expertise, I'm afraid."

It took a few more minutes to reassure the police officers that nothing horrifying was going on, but eventually they drove off. Which was good because it meant that Kakashi could go and find out where his Sexy Uchiha had slipped off to and they had really won the battle. Orochimaru would never bother any of them, ever again!


	18. Chapter 18

Not This Time

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. For those of you interested, feel free to check out my other stories and/or my profile. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the grand finale of _**Not This Time!**_

 **Chapter Notation:** This times place ten years after the last chapter. There is also a brief scientific explanation, but as it is only a paragraph I didn't feel it merited an official warning. It's a bit out there, but if you've made it this far into the story…I'm going to assume that you can handle it ;) Happy reading!

Chapter 18

Ten years had passed since Orochimaru was defeated and they had all gone by blissfully fast. Sasuke smiles at the thought as he waits for the others to arrive. The others who were part of _**Reborn**_!

"That's weird, they're later than Daddy." A little girl giggles.

Reborn was what they called themselves now. All of those who had remember their past lives and regained the ability to use their chakra. After all, they had been reincarnated. So they had been reborn in a way.

Speaking of born though, Sasuke smiles down at Rin. Rin was his daughter with Kakashi and the light of both their lives. She was such a sweet little thing.

He couldn't help, but chuckle at her assessment. "Yes, they're actually later than your father. I didn't think that such a thing was actually possible before, but apparently it is." Kakashi still to this day had a habit of being notoriously late to anything that didn't have to do with him and Rin.

The silver haired seven year old had her wrapped around her tiny little fingers and her adorable smile. Save for Kakashi's hair color though, she had certainly taken after Sasuke in almost everything else. Well at least when it came to looks.

"Hey!" Kakashi clucks his tongue disapprovingly at that. "That isn't very nice!" It probably wasn't, but that didn't make it less true!

The man would be late to his own funeral. Which was actually a good thing really, but Sasuke digressed. Now wasn't the time to focus on such things when their friends would be arriving shortly.

Sasuke smirks at that comment. "True, but I never claimed to be nice and you married me anyway." Rin laughs at that, her obsidian black eyes filled with delight.

It was like looking in a mirror in some ways, Sasuke thought. Well a mirror of his younger self, anyway. She had the same "bubble eyes" that he did when he was younger.

Well that's what Kakashi called them anyway. Bubble Eyes. Sasuke refused to call them as such because it was an insult to his masculinity, but whatever. The concept seemed to thoroughly amuse his husband and Sasuke didn't have the heart to do more than half-heartedly correct him!

"That's because I love you." Kakashi smiles.

Sasuke smiles back and kisses him. "I love you too." Naturally, that's when Karin and Sugietsu decided to walk into their living room!

"Awe that's so sweet." Suigetsu smirks at the happy couple. "I think I'm going to get freaking cavities!"

He was also going to get a black eye or a busted lip, if he didn't knock it off. Sasuke rolls his eyes though. He knew that Sugietsu was Sugietsu. That wasn't going to change just because they were supposed to be respectable adults now!

He wasn't the only one rolling his eyes though. "Suigetsu, knock it off." So was his wife Karin.

He and Jugo had definitely been right about the swimmer and the red head. They had ended up getting married a year or two after Kakashi and Sasuke had tied the not. Thankfully, they didn't have any kids. (The world just wasn't ready for the spawn of Karin and Suigetsu)!

"Come on." Suigetsu groans. "I was just having a little fun is all."

Right. Fun. Suigetsu's idea of fun usually got him a slap upside the head from another member of Reborn, Sasuke snorts in amusement.

Though this was their life now. They were all leading dual lives. Their normal everyday lives and their Reborn lives. Right now, it was time to focus on the latter.

Elsewhere Kabuto shakes his head at Tsunade. "Well he certainly is a rather gifted historian, but are you sure that you made the right decision?" The former ninjas might have saved his life, but the bespectacled man tried to give them as wide a berth as possible.

True, he had tried to stop Orochimaru from killing him, but that didn't make them friends and he couldn't help, but feel more than a little disturbed. His deceased mentor's rival had now just been named Dean of the University.

"I'm positive that it's a good idea." The busty blonde smiles at him. "Kakashi will make an excellent Dean and his husband should prevent him from being late to everything. It'll all work out perfectly." She smiles. "Besides, this means I'll get to enjoy my retirement in Costa Rica!"

Kabuto tries not to snort at that, but it was difficult. Over the years, he had grown closer to Tsunade. She had replaced Orochimaru as his mentor to a certain extent as her previous field had been medicine and she could revival even the deceased Sannin when it came to medical knowledge, but he still missed him.

Orochimaru had gone missing years ago. He'd been missing long enough, that he had legally been declared dead a couple years back. Though Kabuto knew the truth. He really was dead.

How he had met his untimely demise, the silver haired man wasn't exactly certain. It was just apparent that after he had summoned that monster and tried to kill him, Orochimaru had disappeared. Though Sasuke and his friends hadn't. He could do the math.

"Well I do hope that you enjoy your retirement." He smiles at her. "If anyone has earned it, it is certainly you."

Sasuke and his friends had killed Orochimaru. Kabuto might not know how, but that fact was apparent. Of course, he hadn't reported them for two reasons.

The first was he could hardly speak about that giant snake! The police officers would all think he was crazy. Ibiki and Baki might be happily retired by now and doting grandfathers, but they would find out about his story somehow and they'd both laugh their asses off at him. They'd probably think he'd had a few too many drinks one night or something and frankly that was likely the most charitable reaction that he would receive from any of them! (And he didn't particularly want to think the not so charitable reactions that such a tale would garner because they would lead to him ending up in a straightjacket)!

Tsunade pours herself and Kabuto another glass of sake. "That is rather kind of you to say." She smiles at him. "I do appreciate it. Here, have a drink." She laughs softly at him. "It looks as though you could use it."

"Yes, I could." He takes the drink gratefully. "Thank you."

The second reason was because they had saved his life. Honestly, none of them had any real reason to do that. He had been working with Orochimaru. Frankly, Kabuto wouldn't have blamed them, if they had left him to die.

They hadn't though. Instead, they had spared him and for that, he would eternally be grateful. So that was why in the end, he hadn't reported them and he had just continued on with his life as if nothing had happened. Eventually, being promoted to tenured professor. (Ironically, to the same post Orochimaru had once held)!

She nods at him. "You're welcome." And stretches. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure that Kakashi will do a great job as Dean." Probably.

Kabuto just hoped that he wouldn't hold a grudge for those things he had said back when Sasuke was a graduate student! If the other silver haired man did, he was screwed!

About an hour later, Kakashi smiles. Everyone from Reborn had finally arrived and tonight was more about a celebration of how far they had all come than anything else.

"She's so cute!" Ino gushes over Rin and beams at the little girl.

It was thanks to advances in reproductive technology, that Kakashi and Sasuke had been able to have a child together. They each had gone to the doctor who had combined their genetic material and after that, they had found a willing surrogate. The result had been Rin.

Rin smiles at Ino. "It's good to see you, Auntie Ino, Auntie Sakura, Auntie Anko, Auntie Karin, Auntie Hinata, and Auntie Kureni." She blinks at that. "Wow, I have a lot of Aunties!"

Kakashi chuckles at that. That was most certainly true. Everyone that wasn't her father in Reborn, Rin considered to be an Auntie or an Uncle. Most of them weren't related by blood, but they were family!

"Yes, she is." Sasuke smiles and kisses Kakashi's cheek. "She takes after her Daddy."

To which Jugo just laughs. "Well she's definitely got Kakashi's hair, but I'd say she takes after you more strongly." He pauses and adds as an afterthought. "Well at least when it comes to looks."

That was true. Rin did look so much like Sasuke, but she took after him more so in personality. She was more carefree than her Papa Sasuke, but more punctual than him. The best of both worlds, he supposed.

"Well I got the tickets for the waterpark next week." Itachi chuckles as he wraps his arms around his wife, Anko. "I'm sure that we'll all have a grand time for Rin's birthday."

Who said that you couldn't buy love? Itachi certainly did seem to enjoy spoiling his niece. Not that Kakashi could blame the man. Not with those adorable Bubble Eyes of hers.

Rin beams at her Uncle Itachi and Anko laughs. "Yeah!" She smiles. "The slides aren't as big as Aoda, but they're going to be lot so fun. Are you sure that we can't take him with us?" She looks up at her fathers with pleading eyes.

Oh boy. Not this again. If there was one thing that they had found out quickly, it was that Aoda really did have a soft spot for children. He called Rin their "Hatchling" and well, the snake was just like a golden retriever when it came to their daughter.

He was very protective and friendly. Aoda couldn't seem to get enough of playtime with Rin and was more than content to let her use him as her favorite (and only) scaly slide.

"I'm not sure how the other people in the park would react to that." Sasuke smiles as he kisses her forehead. "Sorry, but we can always Summon him for you to play with whenever you want."

Anko nods at that. "We just have to make sure that no one else sees him." Well, she was right. Itachi had married a very smart woman.

The sassy lady had ended up taking over for Minato when he decided to leave his post in favor of traveling around the world with his wife and writing various articles. He'd become quite the successful author and the news station had flourished under Anko's dramatic flare while her husband continued excelling in the field of medicine.

"Careful Lee!" Guy warns his favorite student. "That stuff is very strong!" Uh oh.

Kakashi winces because he knew what was about to happen. Lee and whiskey really didn't mix well. With that in mind, a certain red head drug him outside.

"No, Lee." Gaara shakes his head. "If you're going to drink that stuff, you're staying outside. I remember what happened last time."

Lee was a very friendly person. He might be a smidge eccentric, but usually Gaara was willing to overlook that. His heart was in the right place, after all. Where he drew the line is when the man got thoroughly intoxicated.

That was just too terrifying a sight for even Gaara to handle. Which was saying something, considering he used to be Kazekage.

"But Gaara, it's the Power of Youth!" Lee pouts.

He shakes his head. "Well you can be youthful outside while you drink until you smarten up." And with his work being done, Gaara quickly headed over to his wife Hinata.

He wasn't really sure how it happened. He supposed that they noticed each other sometime after Orochimaru got swallowed whole by a giant snake, but they had noticed each other and well they had been inseparable ever since.

She was his beautiful and sweet pearl and that shocked everyone. Hell, it shocked him sometimes! Though he supposed that opposites had a way of attracting!

"Did you really have to lock him outside?" Hinata giggles and Gaara nods.

Shikamaru yawns as he wraps an arm around Temari. "It's a drag, but he did the right thing." The lazy engineer knew what Lee got like when he had one too many as much as the next person did.

Surprisingly, even Temari was nodding. The fact that Gaara's sister agreed, just further validated Gaara's original point. Lee was far too wild a drunk to have inside!

"So it looks like crime is down." Asuma smiles as he holds a certain Genjutsu Mistress in his lap.

She smiles at him as Naruto watches in amusement. "That's true. Reborn is really doing a good job cleaning up the city!" Yeah! They were awesome!

It kinda sucked that no one else had gotten chakra besides their group, but Naruto understood the reason. He had seen enough of his past life to realize that people often misused chakra and while it had the potential to help a lot of people, it also had the capacity to destroy a lot of lives.

Sadly, most people just weren't ready for the awesome responsibility that came with having chakra. Believe it! Oh well. Maybe, one day things would be different.

While Naruto was having his philosophical musings, Itachi was just amused as he watches Choji chat with Neji and Tenten. Apparently, the chef was rather interested in Tenten's career choice.

"You aren't worried that you're chakra will show up on tests?" Tenten was now an Olympic Athlete!

The cute brunette shakes her head as she snuggles into her husband's arms. "Nah. They aren't testing for it and even if they were, I don't think they'd recognize it." She waves away his concern. "Besides, I'm not using any chakra to compete. So I'd probably be good anyway!"

Neji looked a little uncomfortable at that thought. Though it was clear the financial wizard who had started his own investment banking firm couldn't say no to his wife. Itachi had the same problem, really.

"We're very careful." Neji nods his head in acknowledgement.

On the other side of the room, Karin was having a grand ole time looking at Kankuro's puppets, he noticed. The man had become a famous comedian and incorporated them into his acts.

She tilts her head, having already drug Sugietsu over to look at them with her. "How do you make them talk without moving your lips?" That was a good question. Itachi had wondered that more than once himself!

He just grins at her. "Talent!" Right. Whatever he said.

"Arf! Arf!" Akamaru dashes through the room with his Mate and several puppies following suit.

Kiba looks a little embarrassed at that. "Sorry, guys." He smiles at them. "It looks like they wanted to join the party too!" Well that was certainly a new one!

"Better dogs than Shino's bugs." Ino shakes her head at that. "Seriously, Shino, bugs?" The florist was obviously less than impressed by his association with insects.

He merely shrugs at her though. "I'm a beekeeper now, what do you think?" And the man made damn fine honey!

"Well I just hope that Karin and I don't end up having to treat you for beestings." Sakura laughs as she and Karin were now both doctors!

He twitches at that. "You won't have to treat me for beestings!" Shino puffs up. "I am an excellent beekeeper, I'll have you know!"

The party continues on until well into the night when Sasuke and Kakashi politely usher them all out. The last to go was the Marine Biologist, his wife, and Jugo. The zookeeper. Oh and Haku who now owned an antique shop!

"Well that was interesting." Sasuke shakes his head as he and Kakashi put Rin to bed. "Respectable citizens by day and crime fighters by night!" He smirks as he shuts the door and turns on the child's nightlight.

"Well crime fighters and a few other things." Kakashi smiles as he kisses Sasuke's cheek. "Also lovers."

Well that was true. Sasuke still wasn't sure how he had ever gotten so lucky. His crush on his professor had turned out better than he could ever hope for.

He now had a sexy husband and beautiful daughter. Orochimaru was gone and they still all had their chakra. Not to mention, he had a "pet" snake the size of a two story building. Who could ever ask for more than that?

"That's true." Sasuke smirks. "Was that an offer?"

After all, they hadn't used that hot tub in awhile. It would be quite the shame to let that go to waste. Hmm. Maybe, he could find where he put those fuzzy handcuffs too. That would be fun!

Kakashi smirks back. "It might be." Damn a smirk that sexy should really, really be illegal.

Seriously, it was no wonder that Sasuke had fallen for perhaps the oldest cliché in the book. Falling for his sexy teacher.

He was far from the first person to become infatuated with his instructor, but Sasuke was lucky. Unlike most people, his attraction for said instructor hadn't been one-sided!

"Then I might be interested." Sasuke smirks as he heads towards the hot tub. "Meet me in the hot tub in say ten minutes and see if you can't find those cuffs?" And before Kakashi could response, Sasuke saunters of.

Kakashi chuckles at the sight of his lover's retreating backside. "He really was such a tease sometimes!" He'd had to punish him for that soon.

If Sasuke thought that Kakashi was going to be the one in cuffs tonight, he was wrong. Very, very wrong.

He laughs softly as he quickly grabs them and follows his lover. Idly, he wonders what his previous self would have said about all this. As far as he could tell, 'Ninja Kakashi' had never actually acted on his attraction to Sasuke.

Hell, he wasn't even entirely sure that his previous self _did_ have romantic feelings for his future husband. Though he supposed it didn't really matter. Either way, it was nice to know that in a sense, they were destined to be together in one form or another. Whether that was a student-teacher relationship or the relationship that existed between lovers, they had found each other in at least two lifetimes (and he suspected there was a chance they had found each other in even more)!

"Well time to go punish him for being an evil tease." Kakashi smiles as he heads to the bathroom.

A ninja must always wait for the perfect time to strike. So when he saw Sasuke getting into the bath. He pounced and cuffed him. Kakashi didn't even care that he was still dressed!

"Umpf!" Sasuke's expression was as always, priceless.

He smirks at that. "Much better." That and he looked really hot in these cuffs.

They'd been married for years now, but neither one of them could keep their hands off each other. He quite liked fact that their Honeymoon had never truly ended. It made things interesting.

There were also many benefits to being married to handsome doctor. Who was also a genius. Particularly, when it came to one's sex life! Sasuke could be enormously creative when he wanted to be! Much to Kakashi's delight!

"You're horrible, you know that?" Sasuke scoffs.

He smirks more. "And yet, you married me anyway." Kakashi nips his ear playfully. "So what does that say about you?"

"That I apparently possess a slightly masochistic streak?" Sasuke smirks.

Yes, endlessly creative and Sasuke did love bantering almost as much as Kakashi did. They were absolutely perfect for each other and he doubted that was ever going to change.

"Perhaps, there might be some truth to what you're saying." Though Kakashi certainly had other things on his mind at the moment.

The rest of the night passed in pleasurable blur. Needless to say, by the time that the Sun rose, their bathroom was flooded. Oh well. They could fix that later, he supposed.

"Did Rin leave to catch her bus?" Kakashi smiles at Sasuke.

Sasuke nods in confirmation. "She left and I made sure she didn't forget her lunch this time." Sometimes she forgot her lunch during the morning cuddles.

It was really her own fault. The kid was just too adorable. How was he supposed to resist those Bubble Eyes on her?

If Kakashi couldn't resist them on her father, what hope did he have of resisting them on a kid? Yeah. That's what he thought! Absolutely none!

"Good." He smiles at that thought.

Sasuke smiles and wraps his arms around Kakashi's neck. "So what made you do it?" He tilts his head innocently. "What made you say that Aoda should swallow Orochimaru?"

Oh that. Well Kakashi damn why he had done that. Orochimaru had quite simply deserved it. He deserved that and worse.

"He stole you from Team Seven in our other lives." Kakashi shakes his head as he kisses Sasuke's forehead. "And he was trying to steal you from me in this life." Unforgivable really. "So I made up my mind that this time was going to be different. He couldn't steal you away again." Kakashi smiles. "Not this time."

Sasuke smiles at that and brushes a stray strand of silver hair out of his lover's eye. "Good. I'm glad." He smiles and rests his head on Kakashi's shoulder. "Though I'm also really happy that our Ninja Taijutsu skills came back." he smirks. "Now, that comes in handy." Yes, it did, Kakashi smirks at the thought. Particularly in the bedroom!


End file.
